The Return of the Priest
by LazerWulf
Summary: Seto Kaiba is a wreck. He loses at the Battle City finals, he meets the girl of his dreams, and Shadi gives him a little present from the past. KaibaOC. CH 18: All's Well That Ends Well COMPLETE!
1. The Straw and the Camel

LazerWulf: Greetings, true believers!

Joey: You SO stole dat line from Stan Lee.

LazerWulf: So what? I like that opening, and it fits.

Joey: Whateva!

LazerWulf: ((clears throat)) As I was saying, welcome to my second fanfic. Bear with me. I am still new to this. This fic will be about Priest Seth and his reincarnation, Seto Kaiba.

Joey: ((reads fic)) Hey! Dis looks familiar.

LazerWulf: OK, OK, So I decided to make a sequel to my first fic, "How? Why?" when I realized, thanks to the help of Evil StormSister, that my first fic had room for improvement. So I decided to edit it in a way to make it first person, the way I wanted to write my future chapters, and add a bit more of Kaiba's thoughts. I changed it around a bit, but It's the same story from a different perspective.

Joey: Well, at least ya didn't cut ME outta da story!

LazerWulf: How could I? It's your only part, as far as I can see.

Joey: What!

LazerWulf: Calm down! You'll still help me do the prologues, and I might give you some bit parts, but this story is about Kaiba, not you.

Joey: Awww.

LazerWulf: Without further ado, I present to you my first serial fanfic, and a remake of my first one-shot.

Yu-Gi-Oh! is not mine. Don't sue.

The Return of the Priest:

Chapter 1: The Straw and the Camel.

* * *

**Seto's POV**

"Hey, Kaiba! I got a bone ta pick wit ya!" A thick New York accent came out of nowhere.

"Go play with your bones elsewhere, you mutt!" I retorted as I walked toward the blimp to leave. I wasn't in the mood to put up with that mutt. I had just lost to Yugi in the semi-finals of Battle City. I, the youngest CEO in the world, and a Duel Monsters genius, defeated in my own tournament. I was not in a good mood.

"You promised me a duel back in Battle City, but ya ran off. Ya still trying ta chicken out?"

I stopped. I remembered Wheeler's challenge, and how I was called off when Mokuba informed me that Slifer had been played. Why not? I could use a pick-me-up, and defeating a rank amateur like Wheeler WOULD give me a good laugh.

"Alright, Wheeler," I said, turning to face him, "let's duel!"

Our Duel Disks launched their Portable Holographic Generators, and unfolded from the stand-by position to the battle position. The disks' telemetry ((1)) system connected to my company's Duel Monsters database, which registers who is dueling who, as well as what cards are played, and sends information to the PHGs concerning the cards played. ((2)) Knowing which monster is battling which, it also calculates damage and sends it to the Life Point display, which currently was counting up to 8000, telling us that the system would be tracking this duel. ((3))

I drew 5 cards. Not bad, but nothing spectacular: a Raigeki, a SwordStalker, a Saggi the Dark Clown, a Flute of Summoning Dragons, and a Monster Reborn. I guess I'll have to try and psych him out, at least until I get some better cards.

"I'm feeling generous, so I'll let you go first," I said.

"Charity? From Kaiba? This must be a trick." He drew a card, and added it to the 5 card already in his hand and frowned. "I got no monsters, so I'll just place this card on the field, face down. Go ahead and make your move, ya punk!"

As he placed the card in one of the slots on his disk designated for magic and trap cards, a giant holographic face down card appeared in front of him.

"Gladly!" I sneer as I draw a card of my own: Cyber-Stein. Perfect! Now I can defeat Wheeler in just a few moves! If only I had Megamorph. Oh well, this Raigeki will let me destroy any monster he puts on the field next turn, allowing me to attack him directly again. "Just like the novice you are, leaving yourself wide open like that. Now I summon Cyber-Stein!" I shout as I slam a card on the Duel Disk. A hunch-backed, Frankenstein wannabe appeared in the air between us. "And I activate his effect, sacrificing 5000 Life Points to summon a monster from my Fusion Deck, The Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

A flash appeared, and suddenly a giant, 3 headed dragon, all white, but having a light blue sheen, with 6 solid blue eyes, stood ready, 4500 Attack Points strong, to follow it's master's wishes.

"You might as well go home now, mutt. Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, attack!" I allowed a smirk to appear on my face.

This had been all too easy.

"I don't tink so, Kaiba!"

Something was wrong! The smirk disappeared from my face, and reappeared on Joey's!

"Reveal face down card, Magic Cylinder!"

I stood in shock, as his monster's attack was caught by one of two purple cylinders that appeared, and thrown back directly at me from the other one.

This can't be happening! I thought nothing could stop me! How could I have been so stupid to forget his face down card?

I'm surrounded by the white light of the attack I had sent out.

The counter on my disk reaches 0.

The duel is over.

I lost.

For a while, I just stood there, oblivious to the outside world. I knew I would never live this down. I had to get away. I walk to my blimp. I leave orders with my guards that I am not to be disturbed. I move through the halls until I find my suite. As the door opens, I walk in. I try to make it to my bed, but before I do, I just collapse. I couldn't take it anymore. I pull my knees to my chest, and start rocking back and forth...

* * *

((1)) Telemetry is the technology used when machines transfer data wirelessly.

((2)) What, did you think that all of the holographic information for every Duel Monsters card ever created was stored in the disk itself?

((3)) OK, so I'm a techno-geek.

* * *

Joey: Man, I did dat to Kaiba?

LazerWulf: No, not really. Remember, he's been through a lot. You were just the straw that broke the camel's back.

Joey: So dat's what the title meant.

LazerWulf: Yup! I tried to mention more of what he's been through, like in "How? Why?", but it just didn't fit.

Joey: Where'd I get dat Magic Cylinder card?

LazerWulf: If you remember the epilogue to "How? Why?", you'd remember that this is based on a true story.

Joey: Meaning?

LazerWulf: ((exasperated sigh)) Meaning that, on my GBA Game, (Yu-Gi-Oh! Worldwide Edition) this is how I usually defeat Kaiba. I have that card in my game deck, and since this story is a recreation of most of my duels, I had to put it in your deck.

Joey: Oh. Why'd ya pick me?

LazerWulf: Because, knucklehead, you're my favorite character.

Joey: Really?

LazerWulf: No, not really. Téa is, but I thought a defeat from you would push him over the edge, which is where I wanted him to go. You are my favorite duelist, though.

Joey: Gee, tanks.

LazerWulf: Was there sarcasm in your inflection?

Joey: Let da readers decide dat for demselves.

LazerWulf: Next time, I'll pick up where I started in "How? Why?" and you'll see a face from the past transformed like you've never seen. Until next time!

Phila-Del-Phia!


	2. Mokuba's Story

LazerWulf: Greetings! Time for an update! I know I just posted chapter one yesterday, but I have nothing to do today.

Joey: You have no life.

LazerWulf: Yup, so just bear with me. I'm still new to this. When we last left Kaiba, he was on the floor of his room in the blimp, rocking back and forth in the fetal position.

((Joey grins mischievously))

Joey: I had something to do wit dat.

LazerWulf: Yes, but as you'll see, he had other contributing factors.

I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

The Return of the Priest

Chapter 2: Mokuba's Story

* * *

**Seto's POV**

I felt the blimp shudder, and knew that we were taking off.

What is wrong with me? First, the meeting with Ishizu and the "flashback" to Ancient Egypt, then, the "vision" on top of my blimp. Learning that Gozuboru had used me as a pawn in his plan to "re-animate" Noah didn't surprise me, but being turned to stone isn't a feeling I'll forget soon. I thought I was worse off when Pegasus trapped me in some sort of alternate dimension, but being fully aware and not able to move, while not being able to reach my brother, who was inches away, was just torment.

Even losing to Yugi again wasn't so bad, even though it WAS my tournament. No, the worst thing of all was that I had lost to Wheeler. That luck driven duelist was able to defeat me using only one card! Was I really losing it? I should have seen that play coming a mile away, but I missed it.

I finally collected myself, and was able to sit down in a chair. I placed my head in my hand, and drifted off.

* * *

I awoke to the sound of my door sliding open. I had left orders not to be disturbed, so I knew it could only be one person.

"Big Brother, what's wrong?"

Mokuba. This was a rhetorical question; I know he saw my duel with Joey. I'm supposed to take care of him, but it seems that most of the time, it's the other way around.

"I don't know. Mokuba, do you believe all of this junk about Yugi being an ancient Egyptian pharaoh?"

"I'm not sure, but those guys on that tablet looked an awful lot like you and Yugi."

That tablet!

"How did you..."

"Relax, Big Brother, I'll tell you. It was back a bit before Battle City started. My class was on a field trip to the museum, and an emergency came up."

* * *

**Flashback: Mokuba's POV**

"Teacher, can I use the restroom?"

"Of course, Mokuba. Just hurry back."

I ran as quickly as I could, and made it to the restrooms before I had an accident. Note to self: Don't get the large Mountain Dew again. I washed my hands and headed out to meet up with my class.

Before I even got ten steps, I saw a roped of section of the museum. This distracted me as I was walking and I bumped into someone. I looked up at who I ran into, and saw a lady in a long white gown.

"I'm sorry, miss..." I started.

"That's perfectly alright, Mokuba."

"How did you..."

"Know your name? I know a lot about you. I also know that you will play a big part in the future."

"Like what?"

"Why don't I show you? I noticed that your gaze was drawn to the private section. This was not a coincidence, as that room has a lot to do with your past, as well as your future."

"My past?"

"Come, let me show you."

As we headed down the stairs, I noticed several tablets in glass cases on the wall.

"Hey! Those look like Duel Monsters!"

"Precisely. Now take a look at this one."

"It's Seto and Yugi!"

"Yes. Long ago, these creatures you know as duel monsters were very much real. Now, this will feel a bit strange."

Before I could ask what she meant, she put one hand on my shoulder and another on her golden necklace. Suddenly, we were no longer in a museum, but hovering over a sandstone palace. A familiar looking kid with shaggy, raven hair came running alongside a taller man, also who also seemed familiar.

"That's me and Seto!"

"Not quite, young one," I heard her say. "They are your former selves. You are the reincarnation of Abukom, ((1)) a priest in training, who guarded the Millennium Scales. Abukom was the younger brother of Seth, the pharaoh's high priest and cousin. Seth challenged the pharaoh for his throne, but eventually was defeated."

"Then Seth must be Seto, and the Pharaoh must be Yugi!" It made sense, considering my brother's hatred for Yugi, and the scene on the tablet I just saw.

"Correct. My, such wisdom and deduction for one so small. I can see why you were chosen."

With that, the scene before us disappeared, and we were back in the museum.

"Chosen for what?" I asked.

"Why, to wield the Millennium Scales, of course! The Scales have the ability to judge a person's heart, whether it is pure and true, or not. But the time has not yet come for that, young one. There is still much to learn."

* * *

**End Flashback: Seto's POV**

I was angry. My own brother, corrupted with these lies. But were they lies? I'm beginning to doubt. Yugi does seem to duel like he's possessed, and I doubt it was Schizophrenia that turned Marik into that creep. Could Ishizu have been right? Was this all destined to happen?

I put those thoughts out of my mind, as Mokuba finished his story.

"She told me all about ancient Egypt, how the Duel Monsters were sealed, along with the 7 Millennium Items, how Pegasus was chosen to revive them, and how Yugi is destined to save the world, as well as other stuff that's still jumbled around in my head."

Mokuba's cell phone rang. He answered it.

"Yes?... Yes, he's here with me... Yes, I'll tell him... Alright, good-bye."

With that, he hung up.

"That was the pilot. She said to tell you that we have reached Domino City, and that we will be landing shortly."

Good. I needed to put these last few days out of my mind.

* * *

((1)) Mokuba spelled backwards. I don't know if he has an Ancient Egyptian Alter-Ego (AEAE) So I created one for him. Abukom.

* * *

Joey: Where's Seth?

LazerWulf: Didn't you see him?

Joey: Yeah, but dat was da past. When's he gonna show up in da present?

LazerWulf: Calm down! It's only been a day. I haven't had any reviews yet! But I can tell you this: he already has!

Joey: Whatta ya mean?

LazerWulf: ((snickers evilly)) You'll see.


	3. Let My Love Open The Door

LazerWulf: Greetings! Wow! Two chapters in one day!

Joey: You REALLY don't have a life.

((LazerWulf smacks Joey on the back of the head))

Joey: Hey!

LazerWulf: You have about as much tact as Terriermon. Anyway, This is a songfic. The song is "Let My Love Open The Door" by Audio Adrenaline, from the album Underdog

Joey: Isn't dat a cover?

LazerWulf: Yes, the original song was done by Pete Townsend, and I am told that Pearl Jam does a version as well. However, the only copy of the song I have is on my Underdog CD. I was listening to it, and this song just screamed "Seto Kaiba," so I had to put it in my series. I wanted to get on with the story, but this seemed to fit in with where I am right now.

Yu-Gi-Oh is not mine, neither is this song.

The Return of the Priest

Chapter 3: Let My Love Open The Door

* * *

**Seto's POV**

I sat in the corner booth, typing away at my laptop. I sighed. What was I doing at a Karaoke bar? Oh, yeah, Mokuba. My little brother insisted I get out and do something to clear my mind. I knew that work cleared my mind, but he wouldn't let me go to the office or work at home, so I decided to just go to a place where I could work in peace. There were some pretty bad singers, but I have the ability to drown out any noise. Pretty handy in a place like this.

"This song goes out to that lonely man in the corner."

I looked up at the girl on stage. She was tall, with long, light blue hair that seemed to shimmer in the stage lights. She was wearing a pink babydoll t-shirt and a pair of jeans, which accentuated her figure. She was pretty attractive, but I had no time for something like that. I had never seen this girl before in my life, yet she looked right at me as the song started, and began to sing. I don't know why, but these lyrics seemed to speak to me.

_When people keep repeating  
That you'll never fall in love_

Yeah, many people have told me this. They say I have a cold heart, but you need one in the cold, hard business world. That's something that Gozaburo taught me. There was no time for love. That's why he adopted me and Mokuba. After Noah died, he had no time for a wife.

_When everybody keeps retreating  
But you can't seem to get enough_

Are they retreating? Or am I pushing them away? I do seem to be cold toward other people, but I secretly long for that special someone.

_Let my love open the door  
Let my love open the door  
Let my love open the door  
To your heart_

She's singing to me. She doesn't seem like the typical fangirl. I wonder if she really knows me.

_When everything feels all over  
When everybody seems unkind_

People hate me. It's just the kind of guy I am. People just treat me the way I treat them. That's probably why that mutt, Wheeler, hates me so much.

_I give you a four-leaf clover  
Take all the worry out of your mind_

Worry? What worry? I have a multi-million dollar company that needs constant supervision; otherwise, the idiots that work for me would run it into the ground. I am the legal guardian of my little brother, with all the troubles of parenthood. I might or might not be the reincarnation of an ancient Egyptian High Priest. What do I have to worry about?

_Let my love open the door  
Let my love open the door  
Let my love open the door  
To your heart  
_

She's still looking at me. She has deep, sapphire blue eyes. They accent her hair. Our gaze has not broken once since she started the song.

_I've got the only key to your heart  
I can stop you from falling apart_

Falling apart? I have been slipping away. Dueling was the only thing I could enjoy, no, it was my life. But I couldn't stand losing. I seem to be losing a lot recently, and not just duels. I think I'm losing my mind.

_Release yourself from misery  
Only one thing gonna set you free  
It's my love...  
_

Could this girl have read it on my face? I get up every morning, and I am greeted by that same miserable person in the mirror. Release myself? How? Love? Is there any room in my heart for love?

_When tragedy befalls you  
Don't let it drag you down_

Tragedy? What does she know about tragedy? Was her brother kidnapped by a madman? Was she trapped in an alternate dimension? Was she having visions of things that might or might not have happened 5000 years ago?

_My love can cure your problems  
Don't forget I'm around_

Love, huh? That sounds like something that Anzu girl would say. Love is nonsense. But what is it about this girl. I've never seen her before, yet she dedicates this song to me. Her eyes have a sincere feeling behind them. It's like she knows me. I'm positive that I've never seen her before, and, yet, she looks so familiar. I can't place my finger on it, though.

_Let my love open the door  
Let my love open the door  
Let my love open the door  
To your heart_

Not once during the whole song did she take her eyes off of me. It was like she saw the inner workings of my soul, and chose this song just for me. I have to meet her.

I have to find out who she is...

* * *

LazerWulf: Dun, dun, DUN! Cliffhanger! Should I keep this girl? See what happens? Or get on with the story? Tell me people!

Joey: If ya ask me, Kaiba doesn't deserve love!

LazerWulf: Well, I'm not asking you, I'm asking our readers.

Joey: I'm still waiting fer Seth ta show up!

LazerWulf: Hold yer horses! I promise to get to Seth AT LEAST by chapter 5. Until then, review!

Phila-Del-Phia!


	4. Who Are You?

LazerWulf: MUHUHUHUHWAHAHAHA!

Joey: Uh, Laza? (pronounced Lay-Zah, best I could come up with using Joey's accent)

LazerWulf: Sorry, Jou. (I pronounce it Joe, but spell it like this in respect for the Manga. I don't care how you pronounce it.) Didn't mean to scare you. It's just that I am so exited to have material for my fanfic, with nothing better to do than to write it!

Joey: OHHH-KAY?

LazerWulf: Thanks to AmunRa's links, I got some more information on the Ancient Egypt Memory arc. All I read was 280-285 on Janime, because Jenniyah's scans page was down. But it was enough to get the juices flowing.

((Joey checks FFnet))

Joey: Hey! We got some reviews!

((LazerWulf double checks))

LazerWulf: Hey! You're right! I guess the polite thing to do is respond, hmm?

**CrimsonEyedAngel99** – Thank you for being the first to review this! I got a few more after yours, and I think I might have developed a small entourage! Yes, Audio A rocks! I have all of their albums except Hit Parade, which my brother owns. I figure, why get the greatest hits album when you have all the CDs? I do have the 2 original songs they do for that CD on mp3, so I don't feel left out. I also have a LIVE version of "Big House" on another CD. Yeah, Priest Seth is definitely an interesting character. As for the girl... she is an OC that I haven't fully developed yet.

**behind-cold-blue-eyes** – No problem. I also read your OC's bio, and it looks like it's going to be an interesting series. I find the best way to get people to R&R your stuff is to R&R theirs. Update today? Well right now, I am starting this the same day you wrote your review (7/18/04) so you might get your wish. Like I said earlier, I have nothing else to do, so you could expect #relatively# quick updates. BTW, LazerWulf is spelled with a "Z".

**Evil StormSister** – It is to you that I owe this saga. If it wasn't for your #subtle# prodding, I might not have re-written "How? Why?" And turned it into this. As for your suggestions, I will keep her, I just need to develop her more, and don't be surprised if I add a "Romance" sub-genre to this fic. As for Seth, I had started off with how he was portrayed in the early Anime: evil. However, reading AmunRa's fic, "Intruders," as well as Manga 280-285, I have gotten some different ideas. Thus, I will keep your suggestion in mind. But since Seth has already appeared in the Anime, at least, the person I think is Seth, and has already been portrayed as evil, It will take some creativity to turn this all around.

LazerWulf: I cut out a bunch of stuff from the A/N of this chapter.

Joey: Yeah, maybe now this fic won't get deleted again!

LazerWulf: One more thing, Téa will be called Anzu, because without the accent mark (') over the "e," her name doesn't look right, and the "é" takes a lot of extra energy to write. And I think Anzu is a prettier name, anyway.

Joey: ((singsong)) Someone has a crush!

LazerWulf: ((smacks Joey on the head with an oversized mallet)) I take back what I said last chapter. Terriermon has MORE tact than you do.

Joey: ((rubbing his head)) Where'd you get da mallet, anyway?

LazerWulf: ((shrugs)) Borrowed it from Akane. Anyway, everyone else will have their US names.

Joey: Yeah, I'm not too comfortable calling my best friend a car.

LazerWulf: ((clears throat)) When we last left Seto Kaiba, he was gazing upon a beauty who had tapped into his soul. (Corny, I know, but deal with it.) Manga readers should appreciate that he was sitting in the same Karaoke Lounge where Yugi faced off against Sozoji in Duel 3: Hard Beat! BTW, this is the day after Battle City had ended.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! It belongs to Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, INC., Shonen Jump, 4Kids Entertainment, Warner Brothers, Konami, and Upper Deck.

Don't sue.

* * *

The Return of the Priest

Chapter 4: Who Are You?

* * *

**Seto's POV**

I have to find out who she is.

No one before has been able to move me like she has.

Her song ended, and she handed the mike to the next person. Walking off the stage, she took a seat on the other side of the room. I guess I'll have to go to her. I closed my computer and went over to where she had sat down.

"Who are you?" That question came out rougher than I intended, but I couldn't help that now. She didn't seem to notice.

"Just a girl who saw a boy who was hurting."

Hurting? Gozuboru had taught me better than that. I #never# let my emotions show like that. Well, maybe a few times, but I had been under control until I heard her voice. How could she have known?

"How did you know?"

"I kinda figured it out by the lack of emotion emanating from you. Usually that's a sign of hurt. Would you like to talk about it?"

Every part of me screamed 'YES!' I wanted so much to just spill out everything, but when I tried, all that came out was two words.

"Not really."

I mentally kicked myself. No one had cared for me like that since my parents died and I was sent to the orphanage. Except Mokuba, but he had inside knowledge. He knew about his past. Here was some complete stranger who wasn't pushed away by this rough exterior. She looked crushed.

"I understand. I have some things I'd rather not talk about either..."

She stood up. She was not much shorter than I was, and her piercing blue eyes met mine.

"...but you have to let it out sometime. If you keep it all inside, you'll eventually destroy yourself."

She pulled a marker from the purse she had left on the table, and wrote something on my hand.

"If you ever want to talk, don't be afraid to call me. My name is Lynae..."

She leaned in, and brushed her lips against my cheek.

"...but you can call me Lyn"

She walked out the door, and I wondered if I would ever see her again.

* * *

**Lyn's POV**

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

Why did I have to kiss him?

ARGH!

I try not to be overly affectionate, it tends to push people away, but I can't help it. It's the way I naturally am.

I flagged down a taxi.

I hope he wasn't pushed away that time.

* * *

**Reader's POV**

Marik was running. He didn't know what he was running from, but it wanted to take what he had. He could feel the spirit returning to the Rod. The pharaoh had sent it to the Shadow Realm, but it still had a connection to the Millennium Item he possessed. His sister wanted to give it to the pharaoh, but some part of him still wanted to keep it. It was that part that eventually won. When the blimp had returned to Domino, he took the Rod and ran.

He had been running ever since.

The man following him was not running. Rather, he was hovering, using the powers bestowed to him.

This was Shadi, keeper of the Millennium Key, and temporary guardian of the Millennium Scales. He mutters a shadow spell under his breath, and instantly appears in front of Marik.

Marik, not seeing this, ran into him and hit the ground hard. Shadi was unfazed.

"Give up the Rod, Marik. It is not yours."

Shadi had never thought of taking the Rod before, because the spirit inside was too strong. Now that the spirit was in the Shadow Realm...

"Never! The Rod responds to me. I am its rightful owner."

"You were a guardian of the Rod. It responds to you because you have ancient magic. While you might have been destined to carry it for a time, that time is now up."

There was a flash from the Rod, and a translucent Malik appeared. He was not strong enough to take over Marik, now that Odion was awake, and he did not have his full powers back, so this was the only form he could take.

"This host suits me fine Shadi. I have no desire to have another."

Shadi turned to the apparition.

"Are you sure you don't want your true master, Seth?"

* * *

Joey: Why do ya torment your readers?

LazerWulf: Because I want to get this done before I go to bed. This seemed like a logical point to stop.

Joey: A cliffhanga is logical?

LazerWulf: It is to me. Cliffhangers usually get reviews. Plus, I still need to work on Lyn before I can put her in another scene.

Joey: So Malik is really Seth?

LazerWulf: It makes sense. Atemu was the keeper of the Puzzle, and he wound up being the spirit of the puzzle. Seth was the keeper of the Rod, so it makes sense that he would be the Spirit of the Rod.

Joey: What about Bakura and Abukom? Dey weren't keepers of da Items.

LazerWulf: All in due time, All in due time.

((Joey refreshes reviews page))

Joey: Hey! Ya got anotha one!

LazerWulf: Just in time. I was about to post this.

C.R.D. SpAzZz – I "like your ficcy" too! This chapter should answer your questions somewhat.

LazerWulf: It's a well known fact that FanFic writers like reviews, and who am I to break tradition. Review!

Phila-Del-Phia


	5. Seth Returns!

LazerWulf: ((Sits in corner of room, crying)) WAAH!

Joey: Snap outta it, Laza!

LazerWulf: I'm sorry, but I just read tragic endings to two of my favorite stories: "The Millennium Scales III: Quest of the Items" by Evil StormSister and "To win or to lose" by Lover of Seto Kaiba. Ok, So TMS 3 isn't quite over yet, but the latest chapter is sad, and the next chapter promises to be sad as well. But I am looking forward to it. They are both good stories, and deserve the special mention! So go read them!

Joey: #cough# Shameless Plug #cough#

LazerWulf: Shut up! Anyway, I would like to respond to my reviewers.

**Evil StormSister** – Glad you are liking this story. So you like special mention, huh? I hope that "Shameless Plug" as Joey puts it is special enough for you. I really like your stories, and they deserve all the special mention I can give. And I mean that in utmost respect for your writing. ((glares at Joey))

**C.R.D.SpAzZz** – Sorry I confused you, I hope this chapter will put things in perspective.

**behind-cold-blue-eyes** – Sure, I'd like to correspond! Having pen pals in other countries is fun. I have a pen pal in Australia. He was just a random guy I asked for a Gmail invite, and he gave me one! We've been writing back and forth. He's not a big Anime fan, so it'd be nice to have someone to talk Yu-Gi-Oh with. Don't worry, there's more about this girl coming up this chapter.

**Amme Moto** – Glad you like it, and you're welcome. It pains me to see authors dis their own work. Like I said, If you have confidence in your work, others will be more prone to like it.

**AllDayIDreamAboutFics** – Yeah, I hope QuickEdit 1.03 will let us use carrots and asterisks. Glad you like the twist, but something else came to me after doing research, so I'm twisting it again. You'll see in this chapter.

LazerWulf: ARGH! ((drops to floor, clutches head))

Joey: ((worried/shocked)) What is it!

LazerWulf: Too... Much... Information... Head... Exploding... Can't... Express... Knowledge...

Joey: Come on, buddy, try!

LazerWulf: ((regains composure, somewhat)) I have discovered more of the wonder that is Janime. They have an episode guide of all the Ancient Egyptian Saga Anime episodes. IT contains MAJOR spoilers, but it's an extremely helpful research tool for fanfic writers who focus on the AE Saga.

Joey: The link to that site can be found in our profile.

LazerWulf: And Now

Disclaimer: If you want a list of who has a claim on Yu-Gi-Oh, read the disclaimer for the last chapter. You'll notice that I'm not on that list.

The Return of the Priest

Chapter 5: Seth Returns!

* * *

**Reader's POV**

"Are you sure you don't want your true master, Seth?"

Suddenly, a flash came from the Millennium Rod that Marik was holding.

"My true master does not want me."

This was not voiced by Malik, however. Standing next to the transparent Malik, there was a new apparition. A tall figure in a blue ephod ((1)) and a tall blue hat, he was the spitting image of Seto Kaiba.

"It is good to finally see you, Seth."

"And you, as well, Shada ((2))"

"So you know about Kaiba. He may be more willing than you think. He has been having visions of his past life, or, rather, your life. But whether he wants to or not, the time has come for the Rod to pass to him."

"I understand."

With that said, the Millennium Rod flew from Marik's grasp, and into Shadi's waiting palm. Malik was surprised at this.

"How did you..."

"You forget that I am the true spirit of the Millennium Rod. While you're power was fueled by the hatred you and Marik shared for the Pharaoh, you were able to suppress me. But now that you are weak, I will be the one in control."

There was another flash, and Malik disappeared. Marik, who was, in all honesty, scared of what had just taken place, chose this moment to voice his concern.

"Please don't send me to the Shadow Realm."

Seth smiled.

"Do not worry. I am not as unforgiving as you or your counterpart."

"I believe your sister is waiting for you at the museum."

Marik turned to Shadi, thanked him, and ran off.

"Come, Seth, let us find your new host."

* * *

**Lyn's POV**

We had just moved to Domino from our home in Sweden. It was my first day in town, and I wanted to see the sights. How I ended up in a karaoke bar, I'll never know. I saw a guy there, sitting in the corner, and he looked hurt. Audio A was one of my favorite bands, and I knew they had the perfect song for him.

Instead of going to him, I decided to see if he wanted to come to me. He did. He asked me how I knew he was hurting. Apparently, he thought he had hidden it.

As I got up to give him my number, I saw an opening, and took it. I kissed him.

I'm still kicking myself in the head.

"I don't know this guy! Why did I kiss him?"

"Umm... miss? We're here."

I hadn't realized I had said that aloud.

I paid the taxi driver, walked up the front steps, and into my new house.

"...and a direct attack to wipe out the rest of your life points."

My 13 year old brothers were playing Duel Monsters on the floor of the den, amidst the scattered boxes. They were twins, but not identical. Max was a techie; he loved computers and everything that had anything to do with technology and was very outspoken when it came to problem solving. Sam, on the other hand, was the quiet one; he loved to read and had a very active imagination.

Duel Monsters was the one thing they had in common. Max loved the strategy of it, while Sam was fascinated by the fantasy. They had tried to teach me to play, so I knew a little about the rules, but it really didn't interest me. They were both decent duelists, but Max, being the strategist, usually always won. Not this time, however.

"Great duel, Sam! You're getting better."

"Thanks, bro, although, you almost had me. Hey! Lyn's home!"

"Hey, yourself. So you finally beat him, eh?"

"Yup, thanks to you. I got some great cards in those booster packs you bough us."

"Yeah, I didn't use any of my new cards. I'm still trying to figure out how to best use them."

Max, always the strategist. He was looking through his deck, comparing cards. Sam was looking at something else.

"I know that look. You met a _boy_ didn't you." He stretched the "boy" out in a typical thirteen-year-old singsong manner.

"That's none of your business. Anyway, what are you two doing up this late?"

It was almost midnight.

"Mom had a headache, so she said we could wait up for you."

"Well, you can tell her that I was home before curfew. Now, off to bed, both of you. You don't want to be late for your first day of school in Domino, do you?"

With that, they reluctantly headed up the stairs to their shared room.

Brothers.

I thought back to that guy. I hope I did the right thing, giving him my number. I wonder what he's doing now.

* * *

**Seto's POV**

I stood there, too stunned to move. It was if my inner soul was trying to break free from the chains of Gozuboru.

When I finally regained my composure, I washed off the number she had written on my hand. Can't have writing on my hand like a high school kid. True, I was still in high school, but, also being a CEO, I need to present an aura of statesmanship, and somehow, numbers written on my hand would detract from that.

I wasn't afraid of losing it, though. I already had it memorized.

I don't know why. Maybe it's because I memorize every number that's relative to me, Like the KaibaCorp quarterly fiscal reports.

But why was this number important enough to warrant memorization? Was my inner soul so touched, even through the chains my rough childhood had placed on it, that it had regained some control?

I put those thoughts aside, and headed back to my table. I was able to finish my work, despite the bad singing.

_Not like her singing. Her voice was that of an angel._

Where did that come from? I push that little voice away, and head to my car.

As I drove away, I was startled by a voice coming from the passenger seat. A voice coming from a person who wasn't there when I got in.

"Hello, Kaiba. The time has come..."

* * *

((1)) An ephod is a garment that priests wear.

((2)) Just a reminder, but Shada is Shadi's AEAE

* * *

LazerWulf: Evil Cliffie, I know, but I wanted to get this out. I'm sorry for the delay, but I've been busy helping other people.

Joey: Like who?

LazerWulf: Well, Amme Moto, for one. I'm helping her re-do her prequel to "Holding My Last Breath". And I'm also helping behind-cold-blue-eyes on her "Hidden Memories" fic, as well as beta-reading some of her other stories as well.

Joey: Oh, OK.

LazerWulf: So in the mean time, Review!

Phila-Del-Phia!


	6. Soul Rooms and Memories

LazerWulf: Finally! I'm done with the editing! For those of you who just jumped to this chapter, I recommend going back and re-reading the first 5 chapters. While I didn't remove my fic by choice, It has given me time to make some slight adjustments to this fic. This is the first original chapter since #they# deleted this fic.

Joey: Umm, Laza? What'd ya change?

LazerWulf: Nothing major, the main things are: Lyn and her family have just moved to Domino, and her brothers are now 13, not 12.

Joey: Oh.

LazerWulf: Anyway, to the review board!

Joey: Uh, all the reviews were deleted, remember?

LazerWulf: ((disappointed)) Oh, yeah. ((snaps fingers)) Waitaminnute! When ever someone reviews me, the FFnet bot sends me an e-mail, so I have all me reviews saved somewhere. Now, to the three of you who reviewed before this fic was deleted:

**behind-cold-blue-eyes** – Yeah, he'll get a good scare all right. Anyway, you're welcome. I don't mind beta-reading, and since I know English isn't your first language, I know I have my work cut out for me. But, hey, you're getting better!

**Evil StormSister** – Remember, Sloth is one of the 7 deadly sins. Hehe, just kidding. This chapter should be longer. I am starting this on 7/29/04, but I can't post it until 8/4/04, so I have a week to work on this. If you think you have an idea of what's coming, you probably don't, because I haven't figured it out myself, yet.

**Amme Moto** – Well, helping people is pretty much all I can do right now, since FFnet won't let me upload anything until the 4th, so you're in luck!

LazerWulf: OK, so I'm trying to keep these A/N prologues short, so I can write more of the fic itself.

Joey: Awww, my part gets cut shorta.

LazerWulf: You want more witty banter, or more fic?

Joey: You gotta point, dere.

LazerWulf: So, anyway, on with the fic!

Disclaimer: I own Lyn, Max, Sam, and this storyline. All other characters are property of Kazuki Takahashi.

The Return of the Priest

Chapter 6: Soul Rooms and Memories

* * *

**Shadi's POV**

"Hello, Kaiba. The time has come..."

He stopped the car abruptly. We were not yet out of the parking garage.

He turns to look at me, shock is evident on his face. I had traveled through the Shadow Realm to transport myself into his vehicle. Apparently, he wasn't expecting me.

"Time for what?" He asked.

"Time for you to face your destiny."

I held up my Millennium Key to his forehead and turned it, activating its power. I, or, at least, my spirit, was instantly transported into the Soul Plane of Kaiba's mind. I stood in a hallway with two doors in it. One was Kaiba's Soul Room. I peered inside and saw a huge room, lavishly decorated, which, I can only assume, represented Kaiba's office. On the desk in the middle of the room, there lay a stack of papers, as well as his deck and a duel disk, and a framed picture of his younger brother, whom I immediately recognized as the reincarnation of Abukom. Apparently these were the most important things in his life.

Then the man behind the desk noticed me.

"Who are you? Where am I?"

He seemed almost panicky.

"My name is Shadi, and I am a guardian of the Millennium Items. As for where you are, this is your Soul Room. Now, If you'll follow me into the hallway, I will show you something else."

"There's no way I'm following you!"

"You do not have a choice, Seto Kaiba. I will not leave until I show you this, and until I leave, you will be trapped here."

Reluctantly, he got out from behind the desk and followed me into the hallway.

"This," I said, pointing to the other door, "is Seth's soul room. Apparently, the Rod has already made contact with you."

"But how... when..." Realization struck him. "On top of Kaiba Craft 3, when I was dueling Ishizu, the Rod seemed to react to me. It gave me that vision."

I nodded. "That was when Seth made contact. He was not able to transfer himself fully, as you did not have possession of the Rod, but he was able to create this door."

Seeing what I needed to see, and showing what I needed to show, I pulled myself out of the Spirit Plane and back into my own body.

* * *

**Seto's POV**

What the heck just happened?

First, I was in my car. Then, this freakazoid pops in and takes me to my "Soul Room". He tells me all this junk about having another Soul Room within me for Priest Seth. Now, I'm back where I started, but I'm more confused than ever!

"What's going on?" I mutter.

"The time has come for the Millennium Rod to pass into your hands."

The man who called himself Shadi looks at me with hollow blue eyes, and holds up the item that used to be in the possession of Marik Ishtar.

I started to reach for it. I don't know why. I wanted nothing to do with this. I don't believe in fate. I believe in making your own future. But, those visions seemed so real. Nevertheless, I took the Rod from him.

There was a bright flash, and Shadi disappeared. All that was left of our encounter was the Rod I now held in my hand. I set it in the seat beside me, and proceeded to drive home.

* * *

The drive back to the mansion was uneventful, except for a pounding headache.

I looked at my watch. Almost Midnight. Mokuba better be in bed, he's got school tomorrow.

As I entered the front door, I thought back to the events over the weekend.

Yesterday, Battle City started. I got my 6 locater cards easily enough. Well, dueling alongside Yugi was hardly easy, but I made it through the duel anyway. The finals aboard Kaiba Craft 3 happened that night, and our "adventure" in the Virtual World, as well as the finals on Alcatraz Tower, happened earlier today.

I still shudder at the memory of losing to Wheeler.

When we got back to Domino, Mokuba sent me out to clear my head. I ended up at a Karaoke Bar, where I met Lynae. I still couldn't figure out why she looked so familiar.

I looked down at the Rod I held in my hands. Something inside me told me that this thing was not to be taken lightly.

I walked into my room and set the Rod on the nightstand. I stifled a yawn. If I went to sleep now, I could get a good 6 hours of sleep in. I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, and got into bed.

I must have fallen asleep quickly, because the next thing I knew, I was standing in front of a mirror, except my reflection wasn't wearing the same clothes I was. Instead, he was wearing an outfit I had seen only a handful of times, in my "visions".

When my reflection stepped forward, I realized that this wasn't a mirror, but something else.

"Greetings, my hikari..."

* * *

LazerWulf: I know, I know, this is a bad place to stop. But gimme a break.

Joey: ((hands LazerWulf a Kit Kat bar))

LazerWulf: Umm... not what I meant. I meant that it's late, I'm tired, and this is three days after my "suspension" ended. I wanted to finish chapter 6 before reposting, and it is now 12:20 AM. I'm tired, and I just want to get this out. Did I mention that I'm tired?

Joey: Several times.

LazerWulf: If you're wondering why Seto recognizes Lyn, think about it. It was pure coincidence that she turned out the way she did, because I made her before I knew what I was doing. Now that I know, I've left subtle hints throughout the story.

Joey: Huh? I'm confused.

LazerWulf: And that's supposed to be news? Basically, I didn't mean to do it, but now that it's done, I'm going full force with it. If you know your YGO, you should be able to figure it out.

Joey: ((stares blankly))

LazerWulf: Don't worry if you can't figure it out yet. You'll know when Kaiba knows. When that will be is still up in the air. Until next time, Please Review!


	7. Meeting Again, For the First Time

LazerWulf: I'm BAAAAaack

Joey: Yup! It's been over a week since we reposted dis fic, again, and it's still here!

LazerWulf: Yeah, apparently, it was that A/N thing. Word to the wise: Keep your A/Ns short.

Joey: By da way, thanks to all of you who reviewed "How? Why?" while this fic was offline.

LazerWulf: And now, to the reviewers of this fic.

**ChaosMagicianGirl (formerly behind-cold-blue-eyes)** – Love the new name. LOLz, well, I should, I gave it to you. I meant to say I'm glad you love it enough to use it.

**Lady Shinigami** – ((LazerWulf backs away slowly, trying to avoid any sudden movements)) OHHHhhhhhhhh Kay... here, have some goggles. ((hands Lady S a pair of goggles)) Well, you wanted more...

**KatrinaKaiba** – Here's an update for ya, but you can keep the Joey picture. A Joey plush, on the other hand...

**Amme Moto** – Yeah, you told me, and I think I told you if you were right or not.

**Joeyz girl** – Yeah, it's sort of like a sequel to "How? Why?" but not really, since I redid "How? Why?" to be the first chapter of this story. No, he's not going to be too open to this. Something drastic, eh? We'll see. Thanks for the cookie, but I don't deserve it. I haven't reviewed "A New World". Don't take it personally. I just don't do self-insertion. Thanks for the tip, but it seems to be fixed now.

**Evil StormSister** – It's great to BE back. I'm revealing Lyn's true identity in this chapter, so pay attention! I was going to wait until next chapter, but next chapter suddenly became part of this chapter.

**ThefutureMrs.Kaiba** – Is this soon enough for you?

**duffie** – Thank You. I will.

**Elda Aranel** – Don't worry. A lot of stuff happens in this chapter. I'm leaving you in a totally different place this time.

((LazerWulf gives Joey the cookie from Joeyz girl))

Joey: What's dis for?

LazerWulf: It's from your girlfriend.

Joey: Ooh! Gimme! ((Eats cookie in one bite)) Shankoo!

LazerWulf: Umm, I think he means "Thank You".

Joey: ((swallows)) Ah. Yeah, dat's what I meant ta say. Dank You.

LazerWulf: Uh... huh. Don't talk with your mouth full. It's gross.

Joey: Sorry

LazerWulf: Anyway, I might not get to work on it for a while.

Joey: Why not?

LazerWulf: because I have to create 10 Duel Monsters decks from scratch, as well as chronicle the duels, for SSJ4Takeru's (AKA Kanius) Wrath of Pharaohmon arc story.

Joey: Wrath of who?

LazerWulf: It's his giant crossover story between YGO, Digimon seasons 3 and 4, Sailor Moon, and Yu Yu Hakusho. It's very good, so go check it out!

Disclaimer: I own Lyn, Max, Sam, and Abukom (even though Abukom is really Mokuba, I still own his AEAE). Everything else: just borrowing.

Mind link conversation guide:

'_Yami to Hikari'_

'Hikari to Yami'

The Return of the Priest

Chapter 7: Meeting Again, For the First Time

* * *

**Seto's POV**

"Hi-WHAT!"

This is not happening. This is the same guy I saw in the hallucinations. I must be hallucinating now.

"My hikari: the lighter side of my soul. When we were sealed into the Millennium Items, our souls were split in half. The darker sides of our souls, the Yamis, were sealed, and the lighter sides, the Hikaris, were sent to be reborn. You are that reincarnation. I am your Yami."

Yami... wait... if all this is true... and he's the spirit of the rod, then...

"You're that creep, Yami Marik!"

"Who, Malik? No, Malik was born out of hatred for the Pharaoh, and not just Marik's. Marik's hatred just fueled it and gave it a place to go. For 5000 years, I was able to hold it at bay, but Marik was able to help it escape. Malik is not the Darkness of Marik's soul. They are just kindred spirits. I am Yami Seto, but you may call me Seth."

"Seth? You're that guy that freak in the turban told me about."

"Shadi? Yes, Shadi is the one who helped me escape from Marik and Malik. You should be grateful to the Pharaoh. Had he not beaten you, you surely would have lost to Malik, even with 2 God Cards. Had I not stepped in, you would have lost to Ishizu back on Battle Ship."

"So you..."

"Yes, I was the one who gave you that vision. It took every bit of strength I had stored up to do it, and it brought back painful memories, as well."

"Memories?"

"Yes, I retain most of my memories, unlike the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh's memory was sealed because the fate of the world depended on it. But let us not talk of those things."

"Gladly," was all I could retort. Who was this weirdo?

"What is that incessant noise?"

"Huh...?"

* * *

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP #SLAM#

I look at the clock. 6:30 AM: time to wake up. I get up and walk over to the bathroom. After my morning routine, I pull out a fresh uniform from my closet and put it on.

I see the Millennium Rod, still on the nightstand where I placed it last night. Without thinking, I put it in my school bag.

"Mokuba!" I call out as I walk down the stairs of the Kaiba mansion. "Are you getting ready?"

"Hai, Nii-sama!" ((1))

As I walk into the dining room, I see a place already set for me. I see steaming hot scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast, with a glass of orange juice sitting right next to the morning newspaper, the Business Section pulled and set on the top. I sit down and browse the paper, ignoring the sounds of the servants setting a place for Mokuba.

"Morning, Seto! Did you have fun last night?"

I shudder. Last night was not what I would have called fun.

"It was... interesting."

"You seemed to have calmed down some."

"That loss to Wheeler means nothing to me. I was just off my game." I must have snapped at him, because he visibly jumped back. "I'm sorry. Huh, I guess it still _is_ a touchy subject."

"That's okay, Big Brother. Now, finish your breakfast so I won't be late for school."

I let out a small chuckle. Sometimes I wonder if he's not the grown-up one, even if he's only 12...

After breakfast, I grab my laptop and school bag and head out the door. Mokuba grabs his backpack and follows suit.

The chauffer opens the door to the limo, and we both get in.

So starts another day...

* * *

**Lyn's POV**

"Lyn... Lyn, honey, get up."

I open my eyes to see my mother standing over me.

"Ugh... 5 more minutes?"

"Sorry, sweetie, but it's your first day of school"

"Like I needed to be reminded," I sigh, as I roll out of my sleeping bag and walk over to the bathroom. I still don't have a bed, yet.

My mom heads to my brothers' room, to get them started for the day.

I take a quick shower, and return to my room, where I stare at the box my mom and I had picked up yesterday.

My new school uniform...

I finally get the nerve to open the box. Inside was a pink dress jacket, a white blouse, a blue miniskirt and a blue bow. It wasn't so bad, except for the miniskirt.

Sometimes I think girls' uniforms are designed with boys in mind.

Fortunately, I have some knee-high socks, to minimize the ogling. I quickly get dressed, and head over to my vanity to apply a bit of makeup and brush my hair.

"Lyn! You're going to be late for school!"

"Alright! I'm coming!"

I rush down the stairs, and grab an apple from the kitchen. Max and Sam were just finishing their cereal.

"You ready, guys?" I ask them.

"Yup! I got my duel deck ready, in case we find someone to duel."

"Yeah, Max and I are hoping to find some friends who can play Duel Monsters. It's really big over here."

"Well, don't get too carried away, boys," my mom said. "There's more to making friends than just playing games."

"We know..." They said in unison.

I chuckle.

"Come on, guys. Get in the car."

* * *

I pulled into the drop-off loop of Domino Middle School.

"Ooh! Look!" Sam said, as he pointed to the white limo that was just leaving the loop. "Maybe someone famous goes here!"

"And maybe," I chided, with mock enthusiasm, "they play Duel Monsters!"

"Ah, that would be awesome!" Max jumped in.

"Alright, kiddos, last stop. My school gets out 30 minutes after yours does, so it'll be a while before I can come pick you up."

"That's okay," Max said, "We'll just duel each other until you get here."

"Yeah," Sam said, "maybe someone will see us and want to join in."

"Ya never know! Okay, guys, I love you. See you after school."

"Bye, sis! Love ya, too!"

"Love ya, three!"

They got out of the car, and I drove off, heading towards my own school.

As I reached the parking lot of Domino High, I saw another limo, maybe the same one that was at the middle school, drive away.

Strange...

I parked my car, and headed up the steps into my new school...

* * *

**Seto's POV**

As I walked through the halls to my homeroom class, I tried to ignore the comments being murmured around me.

"Hey, did you hear? Seto lost his own tournament."

"That's not the best part. He was actually beaten twice."

"Yeah, once by Yugi, and then by Joey Wheeler."

"Joey beat him? Man, I can believe that he lost to Yugi, but Joey?"

"Yeah, he beat him with a single card."

'_Ignore them, it's just a game'_

'Where did that come from?'

Great, now I'm talking to myself. I must really be out of it.

'_You don't recognize the voice of your own Yami?'_

'What are you doing in my head?'

'_You forget. We have a connection.'_

'You're just a hallucination.'

'_Believe that all you want, Seto, it still does not change the fact that I am here.'_

'Whatever.'

I pushed the voice to the back of my mind, and continue on to my homeroom. I take my usual seat in the back corner, pull out my laptop and begin to work. After a few moments, I hear the rest of the class file in, including the obnoxious Wheeler, still bragging about his victory.

'_Just tune him out...'_

I do, and I tune Seth out again, as well.

Just then, the bell rang, and the teacher stood up to give us the announcements.

"Alright class, we have a new student joining us, all the way from Sweden. This is... I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

"Lynae. Lynae Stromberg." ((2))

Recognizing the name, as well as the voice, I look up to see the girl from last night. The sunlight streaming in from the window shines on her hair, turning it an even lighter shade of blue, almost white.

Then it hits me. I finally figure out why she looks so familiar. The white hair... the blue eyes... She looks just like...

'_Kisara...'_

* * *

((1)) Means "Yes, big brother."

((2)) Big thanks to ChaosMagicianGirl for helping me create Lynae's last name.

* * *

LazerWulf: Muhuhuhuhuhuhwahahahaha!

Joey: So DAT's who she is.

LazerWulf: Yup! And would you believe I did that on accident? I created Lyn's appearance long before I ever found out about Kisara. During the re-edit, after I decided to make her Kisara's reincarnation, I was able to go back and slightly change her appearance to fit Kisara. (i.e. give her long, light blue hair instead of shoulder-length blue.)

Joey: What about dat whole changing-hair color tingie?

LazerWulf: Glad you asked. I'm not entirely sure. The only pictures I've seen of Kisara are the ones on Janime, and there aren't that many. The pictures depict her having two different hair colors: white when she's outside, and light blue when she's inside. My hypothesis is that her hair color is such a light shade of blue, the sunlight reflecting off of it makes it seem white.

Joey: Ah. So da reason dat Kaiba didn't recognize her at the Karaoke bar is...

LazerWulf: ((finishing the sentence)) ...in his vision, Kisara's hair was white, but at the Karaoke bar, Lyn's hair was light blue. One more thing: Lynae is pronounced "Lyn-ay".

Joey: And we needed ta know dat, why?

LazerWulf: No reason, just throwing it out there.

Joey: Uh-huh. You're weird.

LazerWulf: Thank you. Next chapter I'll be dropping hints about the coupling that's focused on in the sequel. You won't see much in this fic, because I'm focusing on Seto/Lyn. I may have dropped hints elsewhere, so if you already know, don't spoil it for the rest of them. In the meantime, why don't you give that little review button a click?

Phila-Del-Phia!


	8. Blast From the Past

LazerWulf: Greetings, True Believers!

Joey: Again wit da Stan Lee quote...

LazerWulf: Ah, hush. I like it. Quick! To the Review Board!

**Amme Moto** – What's so sad? I'm confused. Thanks for reviewing, though.

**Joeyz girl** – Glad you like Seth's personality. I'm basing him off of what I've read of the Anime on Janime. (Hey, that rhymes! I'm a poet who didn't know it! LOLz) From what I've read, he's calm, level headed, and loyal to his Pharaoh. (Never mind the duel depicted on the tablet, that wasn't really him.) As for the cookie... well, I figured he could enjoy it better than I could.

**Elda Aranel** – Yes, Kisara is a real character in the series. We first meet her in Kaiba's vision during his duel with Ishizu, and later on in the Egyptian Memory arc.

**ChaosMagicianGirl** – Yes, you were right. Although, I dropped enough hints along the way that anyone could guess. Yes, Seto's still not to open to the fact that is Seth, but he'll get used to it. Oh, and you're very welcome. You found errors still? Well, no one's infallible.

**thefutureMrs.Kaiba** – umm, well, thank you. Here you go.

**Evil StormSister** – What will Seth do? You'll see. Oh, and that song suits Kaiba perfectly. You should write a SongFic. I'd read it...

**Jemmie** – Sometimes I wonder if Seth's the Hikari and Seto got the Yami end of the stick. It makes sense, don't it? As for Sweden, I'll explain below. Swedish Techno music? Now there's a concept.

**AllDayIDreamAboutFics** – I, too find SetoxKisara an interesting couple. I hope you enjoy this fic. Yeah, he's stubborn, but he'll eventually come around. Not TOO soon, though.

LazerWulf: Now a note about Lynae. When creating the character, the two things that stood out were her blue hair and blue eyes. So, while looking for names on the internet, I tried to choose a name that had a meaning of "blue". One of the names that kept popping up was "Lynae", which has a Scandinavian root meaning "small blue flower". Since it had a Scandinavian root, I had to make her from Scandinavia. Sweden seemed like the most logical choice. As for what she's doing in Japan... that will be explained later on in the fic.

Joey: ((tackles LazerWulf)) dankyoudankyoudankyoudankyoudankyoudankyou!

LazerWulf: Ugh. Get off me! ((shoves Joey off))

Joey: Sorry. I'm just happy ta be in yer new fic!

LazerWulf: Oh, that. It was just an idea that came to me. I'm a JoeyxMai fan, so I thought I'd write a fic about it. If you're a JoeyxMai fan, then check out my new fic, "Mai's Funny Valentine". Now, onto the next chapter...

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Flashback based off of Janime's summary and translation of episode 214. (Have I mentioned how much I love that site?)

Mind link conversation guide:

'Yami to Hikari'

'Hikari to Yami'

The Return of the Priest

Chapter 8: Blast From the Past!

* * *

**Seto's POV**

Suddenly, I was transported to a different place. I looked around, and I noticed that it was the same Temple from my vision, when I had first seen her.

'_Her name is Kisara, and she has connection to the Blue Eyes White Dragon'_

'Huh?'

'_Not now, events are unfolding. Just watch.'_

I turn to see Kisara running up the steps to the temple, to be met by Seth.

"Kisara! Why are you here?"

"You saved me, once, at the cost of your village. I have come in the hopes that I might save you."

Suddenly, a sinister voice comes out of nowhere.

"Hahahaha! So, the keeper of the white dragon has arrived!"

I turn to see a man in a white mask, with fire-red hair, and a golden eye.

"Seth! That man is possessed. Don't become like that, please!"

"Now, my son! Kill her and take her Ka, so that you might become Pharaoh!"

"Never! Kisara run!"

"Not so fast!" Suddenly, huge rocks started coming up from the ground, blocking their only retreat. "You can't run from your destiny, Seth."

"Your destiny is what you make of it, Dark Priest. Come, Dios!" The contraption on Seth's wrist glowed, and a warrior in black appeared, brandishing a sword. "Destroy the rocks! Aura Sword!" The monster known as Dios swung his sword, and an aura wave was released, which destroyed the rocks. "Now, Kisara, let's go!" He grabbed Kisara's hand, and started running for the exit.

Before they could get there, the man who had identified himself as Seth's father jumped in the way.

"I cannot allow this opportunity to pass. The white dragon WILL be captured." With that, he summoned a monster of his own, a purple giant with no face. "Now, my creature, attack Dios!"

The purple beast stepped forward and grabbed Dios in his hands, crushing him into oblivion. ((1)) This caused Seth to double over in pain.

"Seth!" Kisara cried out. "Stop! I cannot allow this to go any further." She closed her eyes, and a strange blue aura surrounded her, causing her long hair to fan out. When she opened her eyelids again, her eyes were replaced by glowing blue lights. "Now, come forth, my white dragon!"

There is a bright flash, and the Blue Eyes White Dragon appears.

'What? This girl can summon Blue Eyes?'

'_Yes, the white dragon is her Ka, her soul beast.'_

'Her what?'

'_I will explain later. Keep watching'_

"Now, my dragon, attack his beast! White Lightning!"

The Blue Eyes rears his head to deliver his attack, and white energy flows from its mouth. Before the blast hits its target, the purple giant disperses into a million pieces to dodge it, and quickly reforms.

"Hahahaha! My beast won't be destroyed so easily. Now that you've shown your ka, I can capture it. Go, Spellbinding Circle!"

A circle of light formed, and encircled itself around the dragon's neck, immobilizing it. Suddenly a stone tablet appeared, and the Blue Eyes started drifting toward it. Kisara, who had fallen to the ground, tried to stand up, only to be stopped by Seth.

"Kisara, no! You're too weak! You've used up too much of your Ba."

"No! I have to protect you!"

"Seth! What are you waiting for! Kill the girl and complete your destiny!"

"You're wrong," Seth replied. "A world ruled by darkness means nothing. A world full of darkness is dry. Once I saw Kisara, I understood. The only way to defeat the darkness is with the light of love!"

"You fool! You will pay for your insolence." With that, he removed his mask, to reveal his face. He turned out to be an old man, with white hair and a white beard, but his face was completely black with evil.

"No! Kisara and I will not be tools for your vengeance."

"If you will not join me, then you must die! Attack him, my monster!"

The purple giant formed an arrow of dark energy and launched it at Seth.

"Seth! No!"

Kisara jumped in front of Seth and absorbed the attack.

"Kisara!"

"Foolish girl. Now that I have the white dragon, I have no further use for her."

As Seth held Kisara, her Ba draining quickly, the Blue Eyes White Dragon started to be absorbed into the tablet.

"Kisara! Why?"

"Oh, Seth, I had to..."

And with those last words, Kisara breathed her last breath.

"Hahahaha! I attacked you because I knew she would protect you. Now, the birth of the new king is at hand. Seth! You are the chosen king. Kill Pharaoh, and stain the world with darkness!

Seth took the Millennium Rod in his hands, and started walking towards the dark priest.

"That's right, my son, come to me."

"My father died a long time ago." Seth pulled apart the Rod, unsheathing the hidden dagger, and charged.

Another flash, and I was back in the classroom.

* * *

**Lyn's POV**

The man I had met in the Karaoke bar looked like he was somewhere else. When he saw me again, he had this incredulous look on his face, like he was surprised to see me, and then continued to stare into empty space.

"Mr. Kaiba... Mr. Kaiba..." the teacher started.

The man seemed to startle a bit.

"Well, Mr. Kaiba, it's nice of you to join us in the land of the living!"

The class burst into a fit of giggles at the teacher's comment, which seemed to irritate him.

"Alright, Lyn," the teacher said, "you can take the empty seat next to Mr. Kaiba."

I obliged, and headed towards the back row. As I sat down, I turned to the man next to me and tried to start a conversation.

"So, last night, I forgot to ask you your name..."

"It's Kaiba."

"I know that's your last name, but what's your first name?"

He sighed. "If you really must know, it's Seto. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

He turned back to his laptop, and continued the work he started when I had walked in.

"Okay, but my offer still stands. If you ever want to talk, feel free to call me."

The bell rang to end Homeroom, and I filed out with the rest of the class.

* * *

**Seto's POV**

'Okay, Seth, WHAT was with that vision?'

'_I'm sorry, but when I saw her, I could not stop the memories from coming out. This particular memory happened just before the one you saw on top of your airship.'_

'Well, don't do that again. You made me look like an idiot in front of the entire classroom!'

'_Alright, From now on, I'll wait until we're in a secluded place before showing you my memories.'_

'No. No more memories. No more talking. Just leave me alone.'

'_As you wish. But you cannot hide from your destiny.'_

'Wasn't it you who said "Your destiny is what you make of it"?'

'_That is true. You do have control of your destiny. You can choose what you do with the circumstances you are given. And , right now, circumstances have given you the Millennium Rod. Deal with it.'_

'And if I choose to ignore you?'

'_That is your choice, but you cannot stop me. I will not embarrass you. That last memory escaped my control, and I had no choice but to allow it to follow through.'_

'Fine. Just leave me alone until the end of the day. Then I'll have some questions for you that I want answers for.'

'_Very well. Until then...'_

* * *

**Lyn's POV**

As far as first days go, this one wasn't so bad, aside from the obligatory standing in front of the class and having to introducing myself. I had just been through Calculus, Chemistry, and Choir and was heading off to lunch. I had P.E., Literature, and Economics afterwards.

"Hey, Lynae!"

Who could be calling my name? I turned to see a guy with tri-colored hair walking towards me.

"Hey!" I replied. "It's Yugi, right? I think you're in my Math class."

"Yeah, I am. Hey, I was wondering, since you're new and all, if you'd like to have lunch with my friends and me."

"Sure! It beats having to eat alone. Lead the way!"

We made our way to the serving line of the cafeteria. They were serving Chicken Alfredo. It looked halfway decent, for cafeteria food, anyway. Yugi then lead me to a table where three other people were waiting.

"Guys, this is Lynae," Yugi introduced. "Lynae, this is Joey Wheeler," he motioned toward a scruffy blonde guy, "Tristan Taylor," he pointed to the guy with pointy brown hair, "and Anzu Mazaki, ((2))" indicating the brunette girl.

"Nice to meet you. And, please, call me Lyn."

"Please, have a seat." Anzu motioned me next to her, across from the three guys. "So, where are you from?"

"Sweden. We just moved in yesterday."

"Sweden, huh? What brings ya ta Domino?" Joey asked.

"My mother has family here." Well, it was true. It wasn't exactly the reason _why_, but I didn't feel like I knew them well enough to tell them the whole truth. Not yet, anyway.

_But you knew that boy well enough to kiss him..._

_Don't remind me,_ I told my conscience.

"So, do you have any siblings?" Anzu asked.

"Mmm-hmm. Twin 13 year-old brothers. You?"

"I got a little sista named Serenity. She's 14. Da rest of dese guys are only children. She's probably in da same grade as yer bruddas cuz she had to stay back a year. She missed too much school because of her eyes."

"What do you mean?"

"She had a degenerative eye condition which almost made her blind, but Yug here won da Duelist Kingdom tournament and donated da money he won for her surgery," Joey explained. "Today's also her first day back."

"Really? I'll have to ask my brothers about her, then. By the way, what can you guys tell me about him?" I pointed to Seto, who was eating his lunch alone, just a few tables away. I realized I wouldn't get any personal information, but at least I could get more about who he was.

"Who, Kaiba?" Tristan spoke up. "Well, he runs his own corporation, Kaiba Corp."

"He runs Kaiba Corp.!" I knew the name, they were the ones that made Duel Disks, but I didn't know _he_ was the one in charge. He was probably the one in the limo this morning. But what was he doing at the Middle School?

"Yeah, and he's pretty good at Duel Monsters, too," Yugi said.

"But he's not as great as he tinks he is," Joey replied. "After all, I beat him with one card!"

"Oh, stop tooting your own horn," Anzu interjected.

Just then, the bell rang to end lunch.

"Well, it was nice talking with you guys," I said, getting up. "I hope we can do this again sometime."

"Sure! You're always welcome to come sit with us." Yugi offered.

I headed off toward the gym, glad I had made some new friends.

* * *

The rest of the school day passed with little occurrence. Seto was also in my Economics class, but he was the same introverted person he was this morning in Homeroom, so I didn't get a chance to talk to him, much. 

I reached my car and headed over to the Middle School to pick up Max and Sam. When I got there, I noticed them sitting on the ground playing Duel Monsters with a raven-haired kid. I honked the horn to let them know I was there. They gathered their things, said good-bye to the other kid and ran to the car.

"Who was that?" I asked as they got in the car.

"Oh, that's Mokuba. He's actually a pretty decent duelist." Max answered.

"He's actually a year younger than us, but he skipped a grade because he said his brother helped tutor him." Sam added.

"So, I take it you two had a good day?"

"Yup!" they replied.

"By the way, did you guys happen to meet a girl named Serenity Wheeler?"

"Yeah. She was also new today, but she seemed to already know Mokuba."

"Alright, kiddos, buckle up!"

And thus ended our first day of school in Japan.

* * *

((1)) Just picture what happens when one duel monster destroys another, with the exploding triangles. That was just the best way I could explain it within the context of the story. 

((2)) I think I mentioned this before, but I'm using he Japanese name because a) I like that name better and b) putting the ' over the "e" is to much work, and with out it her name looks like a beverage.

* * *

Joey: ((puts 2 and 2 together)) Waitaminute! My sista's goin' out wit a Kaiba! 

LazerWulf: No, no. Not yet anyway. I just put them in the same grade so that romance could blossom in the sequel.

Joey: Then why was she hangin out wit him?

LazerWulf: Because they had already met. If it was your first day of school, wouldn't you hang out with someone you knew?

Joey: I still don't like da fact that they'll be goin' out.

LazerWulf: Well, the sequel is set a few years later, so they'll both be a bit older.

Joey: But why dat particular pairing?

LazerWulf: I dunno, I just think it makes sense. I see all these SetoxSerenity fics, and can't help but think, "What if Serenity and Mokuba got together?" It makes more sense. It's just a personal preference. And besides, I'm already giving Seto a different girlfriend: Lyn!

Joey: I wonder how many other MokubaxSerenity fans there are out there?

LazerWulf: Me, too! Hey, if anybody likes this pairing, and/or knows a good MxS fic mention that while you're writing your review.


	9. You BaKa!

LazerWulf: ((Plops down in computer chair)) Whoo! I'm finally caught up enough to bring you guys a new chapter!

Joey: Humph!

LazerWulf: ((exasperated)) Ugh, what is it, now?

Joey: You called me scruffy!

LazerWulf: So what? It's a complement!

Joey: Yeah, if yer a wookiee!

LazerWulf: Oh, come on. It's a good look for you. Would you rather have me call you a disheveled slob? I think the girls would prefer scruffy. It gives you that "je ne sais pas" feel.

Joey: Genesis WHAT?

LazerWulf: "je ne sais pas" is what the French use to describe something that eludes description. Literally, it means "I don't know" n'est pas?

Joey: Since when do you know French?

LazerWulf: I don't. All I know is a few phrases, like that one and "n'est pas". Now, let's answer the reviews.

**AllDayIDreamAboutFics** - You know, Joey probably wouldn't have noticed that I called him scruffy if you hadn't pointed it out. Yes, I know about Jenniyah, I've read all the AE manga she has that still works. More research. But, in case you're wondering, this will more than likely deal with the Anime.

**thefutureMrs.Kaiba** - To be accurate, this is actually a SetoOC fic, with hints of SethKisara. Even though Lyn is Kisara's reincarnate, she's still her own distinct person.

**Evil StormSister** - I find it funny that your too lazy to write out the "t-o-r-m" and "i-s-t-e-r", but your not to lazy to write "too lazy to write the whole thing". No, I said Ba, and I meant Ba. Ba and Ka are different, as you will see in this chapter.

**Lady Shinigami** - Well, I must say that this review was a whole lot less creepy than the last one. Anyway, I'm glad you like my characterizations. I can't promise any old-lady bickering, but you might see a stubborn High Priest butting heads with a stubborn CEO. And thanks for the recommendation. It was a pretty good Mokuba/Serenity fic. I was enjoying it until I got to the last chapter. I've got real problems with yaoi/yuri/shounen-ai. But I don't blame you. 1) You didn't know about my preference, and 2) at the time you reviewed, that little piece wasn't there. So no need to apologize. Besides, I don't hold grudges. They're too heavy to carry around.

**Minor Arcana** - Thank you for reviewing chapter-by-chapter. It means a lot to me when someone new to my fic tells me what they think of each chapter, and not just the story so far as a whole. Judging from where you left off, you still have three more chapters to go, including this one. I say again: Thank You.

**KatrinaKaiba** - Yeah, I think it's funny when teachers do that, too, except when it's YOU that they have to wake up.

**Amme Moto** - A girl thing, huh? No wonder I didn't get it. Yes, there's a sequel planned. I got a bit carried away in Chapter 2. The sequel will be centered around Mokuba, Abukom, the Millennium Scales, and Serenity. (much to Joey's annoyance). I think I'll be calling it "The Return of the Priest's Little Brother".

**pheonica** - I'm sorry I haven't gotten around to reading your fic. I've been busy. Thank you for reviewing though. As I said above, Abukom will have a big part in the sequel. I got plans. Not the same plans I had back when I wrote Chapter 2, but I can still make it work.

**Lady Moofin** - No, Kisara wasn't murdered by Seth. She was murdered by Akunadin, just like I wrote in the last chapter. I wrote that chapter using Janime as a reference, so when you get far enough, it'll make sense.

Joey: Hey, are you gonna tell 'em 'bout your new fic?

LazerWulf: I was just getting to that. It's another OneShot SongFic that I put out called "Last Words". I got the idea from the song by Thousand Foot Krutch of the same name. It's a bit angsty, but there's a bit of hope mixed in. I deliberately left the characters nameless, but, to all of you who guessed who "he" is, you were right. On the other hand, I will not tell you who "she" is, because I did not write "her" with a specific character in mind. "She" can be whoever you want her to be. I'd like to know who you pictured "her" as, though.

Joey: Lesse, Cheezy intro?

LazerWulf: Check.

Joey: Reviewer response?

LazerWulf: Check.

Joey: Shameless self-promotion?

LazerWulf: Check. Oh, wait! I forgot something!

Joey: What now?

LazerWulf: SSJ4Takeru, aka Kanius, has finally started his tournament, and he's using the duels and battle situations I lined up for him! Do both of us a favor and go check it out! There should be a link at the bottom of my profile.

Joey: OK! So now all dat's left is ta start da fic!

LazerWulf: I should probably mention that this chapter is mostly explanations, with a few spoilers for the Anime. Or, at least, my interpretation of the events that will happen in the Anime. It might get a bit boring, but you'd be lost if I didn't mention these things.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kisara, but I own Lyn. I don't own Mokuba, but I own Abukom. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I own this AU.

'_Yami to Hikari'_

'Hikari to Yami'

The Return of the Priest

Chapter 9: You BaKa!

* * *

**Seto's POV**

'_You know, it's startling how much your brother Mokuba looks like my brother, Abukom.'_

I was in the limo being driven home after school. We had just picked up Mokuba from the middle school and he was sitting across from me. He was going on and on about his day, but I wasn't really listening. I was reading the Business section of the newspaper and trying to ignore my "Yami". I did hear something about new friends, though. That's good. I'm glad he's having a normal childhood. I sacrificed mine so that he could.

'I could say the same thing about you and me. But then again, I am your reincarnate, aren't I?'

'_So, you've finally accepted the truth have you?'_

'Let's just say that I'm admitting that it could be a possibility. This whole "reincarnation" business is a bit farfetched.'

'_How else would you explain it?'_

'I... I don't know,' I admitted. 'All I know is what's real.'

'_Fair enough.'_

We finally pulled into the driveway of Kaiba Manor, where I quickly retreated to my study. I pulled out the Millennium Rod from inside my school jacket and set it on the desk.

'All right, you promised me explanations, now spill.'

The Rod emitted a small glow, and the translucent figure of Seth appeared before me, now dressed in the same outfit I had on.

"What do you want to know?" he asked.

"You can start by telling me why you're dressed like that."

"Simple, I found these in your Soul Room. They're actually quite comfortable, compared to the robes we wore in Egypt."

"Okay... next question. What the heck are Ba and Ka?"

"A Ka is sometimes called a soul beast, but it more accurately represents the mind. Everyone has a Ka, but only certain people can call upon it to help them. A person's Ba is their life force. It is what sustains them. If they lose their Ba, they die. A person's Ba and Ka are connected, though loosely so. If it takes damage, the Ba also takes damage. However, thanks to the Millennium Items, the other priests and I were able to separate the Ka and Ba, and sealed the Ka away in stone tablets to use later. The person whose Ka was sealed was left unharmed, and was no longer linked to it. We reserved this punishment for criminals, however, whose Ka had grown too strong and took over their bodies, thus causing them to do things they would not normally do. We did have ways to tell if it was the person who was committing these acts, or if they had an evil Ka. Using the Millennium Items, we were able to summon them, but we became linked to these summoned Ka as if they were our own."

"So, let me get this straight. The Ka are like the Duel Monsters themselves, and Ba is like your Life Points. By destroying monsters, you damage Life Points, just like by destroying Ka, you damage Ba."

"Precisely."

"But if you could seal Ka without killing the person, why was that man trying to get you to kill Kisara?"

"Because her Ka, the Blue Eyes White Dragon, was so strong that it had fused itself to her Ba, so that it could not be separated. Thus, sealing her Ka could not be done without sealing her Ba, which, in turn, could not be done without killing her. By killing Kisara, Akunadin destroyed the link to her body, and sealed the Ba and Ka together."

"Was Akunadin really your father?"

"He was at one point, I guess, before he created the Millennium Items. I was 5 years old at that time, and my brother had just been born. I remember that my father went out one day, but he never returned. I found out later that he _had_ returned, but that I was so frightened of him because he had the Millennium Eye, he and my mother decided that it was best that they told me my father had died, and that he stay at a distance. For eleven years, I never knew that Akunadin, the man who had mentored me ever since my mother died, was really my father. Then the incident with Zork happened."

"Who's Zork?"

"Zork Necrophidius is the ultimate evil. When the Millennium Items were created, he was found to dwell within the Millennium Ring. Akunadin used the power of the Millennium Eye to banish him from the Ring, but Zork retreated into the soul of a young thief nearby; Bakura, the lone survivor of Kuruelna Village."

"So Bakura was... wait, what do you mean survivor?"

"It was a little known fact that the Items were created through a type of Dark Alchemy. In order to create the gold and give it magic properties, a sacrifice was required, 'the blood of 99' to be exact. Kuruelna was known to be a village of thieves, so Akunadin went and slaughtered them, using their blood for the ritual. I guess Bakura must have been lucky number 100."

"Some luck, to have the ultimate evil take residence in your soul," I remarked.

"Yes, Zork eventually stirred up hatred within Bakura directed toward Akunumkanon, the current pharaoh, which was redirected, after Akunumkanon's death, toward his son, the 'Nameless Pharaoh'. A hatred shared by Akunumkanon's brother, Akunadin."

"So if Akunadin and Akunumkanon were brothers, then that means..."

"Yes, I was the cousin of the 'Nameless Pharaoh'. Akunadin was jealous and wanted to become pharaoh himself, but when that didn't happen, he tried to force his will for his son, me, by any means necessary, including receiving power from the Dark Lord himself. Meanwhile, Bakura, or, rather, Zork, was able to steal the Ring and implant part of his spirit into it. Together, he and Akunadin were able to gather the rest of the Items and summon Zork's true form. Several of the current Item holders died along the way: Mahaado, Karim, Shada. The Pharaoh tried his best, but he was unable to defeat Zork. Two of his Gods, Slifer and Obelisk, were defeated, and he was left too weak to summon Ra. In the end, he sacrificed himself to seal Zork, along with himself, away inside the Millennium Puzzle."

"The same Puzzle Yugi has..."

"Ah, so you've noticed."

"Noticed what?"

"That Yugi is different."

"I have been wondering..."

"As I was saying, 5000 years ago, "Nameless Pharaoh" sealed himself and Zork inside the Puzzle, but before he did, he asked me to make sure that his real name was erased from time."

"But why you?"

"As the Pharaoh's cousin, I was next in line for the throne. This is why Akunadin tried so hard to have him killed. In a way, I guess his final wish was granted. I became the next pharaoh, and erased all knowledge of the 'Nameless Pharaoh's' real name."

"Thus making him a 'Nameless Pharaoh'."

"Precisely."

"So where does Abukom fit into all this? Ishizu said that he inherited the Millennium Scales."

"And so he did. When I became pharaoh, the Puzzle passed into my possession. Of the 6 priests who held Millennium Items, only Isis and I survived, so I had to choose new holders for the items. Of them, I chose Abukom to wield the Scales, though at that point, he was too young, so they were given to Shada to protect."

"Wait, didn't you say that Shada had died?"

"Shada was a necromancer, meaning he had power over the dead. When he died, he was able to give his spirit physical form. He, at this point, chose to be called Shadi, because he was no longer the person he was when he was alive. He was a close friend of Karim's, so it was only natural that he held the Scales until Abukom was ready."

"So Shadi is actually..."

"A 5000 year old spirit, just like myself, except he was never sealed within his Item."

"So why _did_ you seal yourself into the Rod?"

"After the Zork incident, new evils kept arising. They were not as powerful as Zork was, so we were able to defeat them easily. It was actually Abukom who pointed out the fact that it was the evil that created the Items that was drawing out the evils we were fighting. So, we decided that the Items themselves needed to be sealed away. The Puzzle was broken into its many pieces and placed in the Pharaoh's tomb; however, I knew that the battle with Zork was not over, and that the Pharaoh would need help when he was finally awakened. It was for this reason that I decided to seal myself into the Rod. Abukom, likewise, sealed himself in the Scales. The Ring and the Eye were considered too marred by evil to be used for good, so they were sealed away as well. Isis chose to raise a family of Tomb Guardians to protect the Pharaoh's tomb, and two Items were placed in her care, hers and mine. Shadi, as a living spirit, was appointed the task of guarding the rest of the Items until they were needed again. Do you have any other questions?"

"Not at the moment."

"Then I believe your brother wants to talk to you."

"What do you..."

Before I could finish that statement, I turned around to see Mokuba staring wide-eyed at me.

"Nii-sama," he asked, "why are you talking to yourself?"

Great, he must not be able to see Seth. Even more proof that I'm going crazy.

"It's none of your concern, Mokuba," I snapped. "I'm sorry, I guess I'm still a little on the edge from this whole Battle City ordeal. Now, did you want something?"

"I finished my homework, and I was wondering if you could take me to the mall. I wanted to hang out with some of my friends."

"Why can't you get one of the drivers to take you?"

"It's 5:00. They're all off duty now."

Stupid Union.

"Fine," I replied.

"Great, now I gotta call Max and Sam and tell them I'll be there."

* * *

**Lyn's POV**

"Stromberg residence, Lyn speaking," I answered, after picking up the ringing phone.

"Hey, Lyn, this is Mokuba, Max and Sam's friend. Are either of them around?"

"Sure, hold on. Hey, Max, telephone."

Max ran over from the living room and took the phone.

"Hey, Mokuba, what's up...? The mall...? Hold on, let me ask... Hey Mom, Mokuba wants to know if Sam and I can go hang out with him at the mall."

"Sure," my mother, who was a few feet away getting dinner ready, replied. "If your sister will agree to take you, and if you can be back in time for dinner at 8:00."

"Please, sis?" he turned to me, puppy-dog eyes at full power.

I succumbed.

"All right, go get your brother."

Max turned back to the phone.

"Okay, Mok, we'll see you there."

He hung up and ran upstairs to get Sam. A few minutes later, we were out the door.

* * *

LazerWulf: Ah phooey. 

Joey: What?

LazerWulf: I'm stuck. I mean, I was going to make this chapter a bit longer, and I know what's supposed to happen next, but I've got a bit of the writer's block about how to make it happen.

Joey: Well, it's kinda obvious dat Kaiba and Lyn are gonna meet again.

LazerWulf: Yeah, well I'm clueless about what to do next. I mean, it's still too soon for Seto to spill his guts out to her.

Joey: Dat's true.

LazerWulf: Anyway, I'm sorry if this chapter was boring, but I had to explain these things, or _I_ would have gotten lost. Call it the obligatory chapter that has to fill in plot holes before they form. It shouldn't be that hard to follow. I mean Joey followed it. Didn't you, Joey?

Joey: ((looks around distractedly, whistling and making circles with his toe))

LazerWulf: JOEY!

Joey: Come on, I was just kiddin'. Pharaoh's in da Puzzle, Seth's in da Rod, and Abukom's in da Scales. Shadi has da Key and is guarding da scales, just like he did before Abukom was ready. Isis is not in the Necklace, which explains why we've neva seen a Yami Ishizu. Da Ring and Da Eye were too evil, so they were sealed, apparently, without spirits of priests.

LazerWulf: Right, the Ring had Zork/Bakura's spirit, so it couldn't house another one.

Joey: I see.

LazerWulf: As for the Eye... all I'm saying is that just because the priests didn't put a spirit in there, it doesn't mean that someone else didn't... but that won't come into play until the sequel.

Joey: And when can we expect da sequel?

LazerWulf: Whenever this fic is finished, of course. No telling how long that'll be though. On a lighter note, Janime has finally finished the summary of the last episode of Yu-Gi-Oh. That's right, folks. It's officially over. Now, on to Yu-Gi-Oh GX! I just hope we don't have to wait another 2 years for it to appear in the States. I, for one, can't wait.

Joey: In da meantime, why don't you guys click on da little button that let's you review.

LazerWulf: And don't forget to add me to your Author Alerts list... Please?

P.S. Did anyone get the pun in the chapter title?


	10. Confessions

LazerWulf: Ok, time for the 10th chapter! I never thought this fic would make it this far.

Joey: Me, neitha!

LazerWulf: Yes, well, you also thought Malik was Seth.

Joey: You did, too!

LazerWulf: Well, I know better now. Anyway, thanks to all my reviewers! This chapter would not exist if not for you. Special shout out to Minor Arcana, who helped me through a bit of writer's block. Now, ((Strikes heroic pose)) to the Review Board!

Joey: ((Shakes head in disbelief))

**ThefutureMrs.Kaiba** - Nah, I didn't think you were rambling, but then again, I tend to ramble on, myself, so I don't really mind when others do it. I'm glad I was able to help you understand how Atem(u) was defeated 5000 (or is it 3000? Whatever, it's 5000 in this fic) years ago. I'm glad you think this is worthy of more reviews, but I'm still just a rookie, so I don't really expect much. Although, if you count the reviews I had before this was deleted the first time, I'd have over 50! Oh, and if you wanna see GX, browse Janime's forums, especially Mai's Download Highway. It has links to places that have the first episode online. I watched it, but I warn you, it won't make sense unless either a) you're fluent in Japanese, or b) you've read Janime's summary for that episode. I used the latter. Finally, The sequel WILL come, but not until this is over, and that could take a while.

**Amme Moto** - From what I understand, that was your cousin who left that last review. We really need to get her another e-mail account...

**KatrinaKaiba** - No, Abukom won't come into play until the sequel. As for the mall... well, just read this chapter

**Nefie** - Correction: Isis died in the ANIME. Not the Manga. Besides, it suits my story better to have her alive, so I'll be using the Manga sequence of events in this respect.

**Lady Shinigami** - Yes, you got it. You have a devious mind, but don't expect Mokuba to be blackmailing him anytime soon. After all, he'll have his own problems soon. Oh, and I said that there was no need to apologize. I missed the warning, too. I read that part in the beginning A'N of chapter 3, but I dismissed it, so it was MY fault, not yours.

**AllDayIDreamAboutFics** - Thank you, I knew you were one of the ones who had put me on your AA, and that comment was directed toward everyone else. How do you tell them apart? I hadn't thought of that. Maybe there is no way... I think I talked to you about the difference between R and GX. In all honesty, the GX cast seems like it has potential. Don't dismiss it just because you like the old cast better. In fact, I predict that it will not be long before FFnet is flooded with JuddaiAsuka fics.

**Minor Arcana** - Thanks for your info about Isis, and your help with my writer's block. I'm glad to see that your fic is finally complete, and I anxiously await the sequel.

**Evil StormSister** - I'm glad you understood the necessity of that chapter. I was going to try to make it up, by adding the mall scene at the end, but I got hit by the block. I thought about your suggestion, but I don't think Seth will be taking over anytime soon. I could be wrong though. Oh, and as for your "Last Words" review, I'd tell you, but FFnet cut off the domain name of your e-mail. Try putting it in the spot that is designed for e-mail addresses. (Where you usually put "Too lazy to sign in")

**Red Rose Yuki** - A new reviewer! Yay! Is your name, by any chance, related to Yuki Juddai? You realize that calling him Yuki is the same as calling Kaiba, "Kaiba". It's written in traditional Japanese format, meaning Yuki is the surname and Juddai is his given name.

**allison lightning** - Another new reviewer! Double Yay! Here's your update. Enjoy! By the way, what did you mean by "these stories"?

LazerWulf: Now that that's done, let's get this fic started.

Joey: Hey! Whaddabout me?

LazerWulf: Don't worry, we still have the Epilogue A'Ns to do.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kisara, but I own Lyn. I don't own Mokuba, but I own Abukom. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I own this AU. I also own Max and Sam.

'_Yami to Hikari'_

'Hikari to Yami'

The Return of the Priest

Chapter 10: Confessions

* * *

**Lyn's POV**

We pulled into a parking space at Domino Mall, where my brothers were supposed to meet their new friend, Mokuba. It was nice that they were making friends.

We made our way through the mall and found the arcade, where we were supposed to meet Mokuba. Once there, I noticed a few familiar faces from school. Tristan and Joey were battling each other on Tekken 3, while Anzu seemed to be dragging Yugi to the DanceDanceRevolution station.

"Oh, come on Yugi! It'll be fun!" Anzu said.

"But I don't dance!" Yugi complained.

I decided to be merciful and rescue Yugi from this situation.

"Hey! Anzu! Yugi!" I cried out.

Yugi's eyes seemed to brighten at the welcome distraction.

"Hey, Lyn!" He replied. "Who are these two?"

"These are my brothers, Max and Sam."

"Nice to meet you," Yugi replied. "I'm Yugi Muto."

My brothers' jaws just about dropped to the floor. "You're Yugi Muto!" They both said, at the same time.

"You know the Duelist Kingdom champion," Sam turned to me, "and didn't bother to tell us!"

I shrugged. "I didn't think it was important at the time."

"But still," Max jumped in, "HE'S YUGI MUTO!"

"Now, guys," Yugi said, trying to calm them down, "I'm still just a normal teenager, not just the Duelist Kingdom champ."

"He's right, ya know." Joey said, appearing right next to Yugi. Apparently he and Tristan had finished their game. "He's also da Battle City champ!"

This seemed to have the opposite effect of what we were going for. Instead of calming down, Max and Sam went wild at the sight of another famous duelist.

"OH MY GOSH! You're Joey Wheeler! Serenity told us all about you!"

"You won second place in Duelist Kingdom, and third in Battle City!"

Unlike Yugi, Joey seemed to be basking in the light of fame. For a minute, I thought I smelt bacon frying.

While Max and Sam where off with Joey, talking about duel strategies and such, I took Yugi's place and joined Anzu in playing DDR. She was flying, but I wasn't too shabby, either. While I was nowhere close to her score, I made it into the top 10, where most of the spots were dominated by Anzu's previous scores.

While I was entering my initials, I heard a slow clap. I turned to see none other than Seto Kaiba.

* * *

**Seto's POV**

"Come on, Nii-sama! Max and Sam are probably waiting in the arcade by now!"

"Hey, it's not my fault that Domino has such stupid drivers!"

It had taken us a full 30 minutes to get to the mall, twice as long as it usually took. I had planned to just drop Mokuba off at the arcade and leave, but when we got there, I saw Lyn with that Mazaki girl, playing DDR, her light blue hair glowing in the blacklights of the arcade. Her dancing was as graceful as her singing was. When I noticed that she had made the top 10, I couldn't help but applaud. This seemed to startle her. As she turned around she looked surprised to see me.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Taking my brother to meet some friends." I replied, nonchalantly.

Just then, she seemed to notice that Mokuba was standing next to me.

"Mokuba's _your_ brother!"

I cocked an eyebrow.

"You know him?"

"I saw him briefly. He was playing Duel Monsters with my brothers when I picked them up after school today."

"Ah, so Max and Sam are _your_ brothers."

"Hey," Mokuba piped in, "I'm gonna go play games with Max and Sam, now. I'll leave you two to have some 'alone time'." He ran off before I could interject.

'I swear, that kid is too mature to be 12.'

'_I know, Abukom was the same way.'_

Ugh, I'm going to have to watch what I think aloud.

"So, you want to get a cup of coffee?" Lyn asked, breaking the awkward silence.

What have I got to lose? I sigh, and let a half-smile slip out.

"Sure. There's a Starbucks around here somewhere."

We walked toward the Food Court in silence. Well, for her it was probably silent, but she didn't have a Yami trying to interfere with her personal life.

'_I sense that you are struggling about whether or not to tell her about your past.'_

'What's that to you?' I snap back.

'_She seems to want to get to know you. Why is that so wrong?'_

'I don't like people knowing about my past. It's bad enough that Yugi and his friends know what they do, thanks to our trip to Noah's virtual world.'

'_Still, you are attracted to this girl, are you not? Wouldn't you like to get to know her better, too?'_

'I have no time for petty relationships. I have a company to run.'

'_And, yet, you're going to have coffee with her, when you could be working.'_

For once, I had no response. He was right. I hate having to admit that others are right.

* * *

**Lyn's POV**

After what seemed like an eternity of walking, he finally spoke.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"I just want to get to know you better," I said, offhandedly. "Ever since I saw you at the Karaoke bar, I knew you were suppressing some deep pain, and I just want to help you release it."

"No... I mean what do you want?" He gestured to the counter. Apparently, I hadn't noticed that we had arrived at our destination.

"Oh, umm... a tall Arabian Mocha Sanani, black."

"Interesting..."

"What?"

"Well, they say you can tell a lot about a person by the type of coffee they drink. Arabian Mocha Sanani is a wild and exotic blend."

"Oh, and what's your flavor?"

"Gold Coast. Rich and Sophisticated," He smirked.

I rolled my eyes. "Like I didn't see that one coming."

He had offered to pay for my drink, an offer which I gladly accepted, so I went to find us a table while he ordered.

"Ok, here's the deal:" he said, setting the drinks on the table and sitting across from me, "when we met, you said that you had things you didn't want to talk about. If I'm going to talk about my past, you have to talk about yours, and you get to go first."

Well, if that's what it takes to get him to open up...

"Okay, let's start at the beginning. My father was Swedish, but my mother was Japanese. They met while my father was going to school here in Japan. They quickly fell in love, and when it was time for my father to go back home, he asked my mother to marry him, and live with him in Sweden, where my brothers and I were raised. I had been to Japan a few times before, to visit my grandparents, but I always felt at home in Sweden." My tone became sadder as memories started to flood. "That is, up until the accident."

"Accident?"

"Yes, 3 months ago, my father was in a car accident that claimed his life."

"I'm sorry." I know it's something people say, like they have to, but he seemed to genuinely mean it, like he knew what it was like to lose family.

"Thank you. For a while, we tried going on like normal, but behind every corner, there was a memory of him. In the end, my mother decided the best thing for us would be to make a fresh start. We made the arrangements to move to Japan, to be closer to our grandparents. We just arrived yesterday."

"I... I didn't know your wound was so recent. You seem so cheerful."

"I like to make the best out of each situation. You can't change your past, but you can change the way you see it. Sure, I miss my father, but I try to focus on all the new opportunities I have here in Japan."

"Courage... I admire that."

"Ok, Mr. Big Shot," my tone a bit more resolute, "it's your turn."

"You really want to know about my past?" He looked around, searching for anyone who could be eavesdropping. He leaned in toward me, which led me to do the same. "I'll tell you later," I heard him whisper.

ARGH! This guy is so frustrating! He started chuckling, so I threw a crumpled-up napkin at him, making him laugh even harder.

"You tricked me! You said you were going to tell me about your past!"

"If... I said, 'IF I was going to talk about my past.'"

"You... you... you scoundrel! I spill my guts out to you, and you're having a laugh at my expense."

"I'm sorry, it's just that you look so cute when you're angry."

"Did you just call me cute?"

This got him to stop laughing. He must not have noticed his slip of the tongue, because he quickly changed the subject.

"This place is a bit too crowded. How about I tell you over dinner some time, say, Friday night?"

Whoa, is he asking me on a date? First cute, now this...

"I... I..."

"I'll pick you up at 8. Wear something nice."

* * *

Joey: Kaiba's goin' out on a date? 

LazerWulf: Well, I was going to have him talk this chapter, but I know how he likes his secrecy.

Joey: Dat, and he likes ta be manipulative. Did ya see how he got Lyn ta talk?

LazerWulf: I prefer to think of it as "having full control over the situation".

Joey: Well, I tink it's Kaiba being Kaiba.

LazerWulf: My point exactly. I didn't want to get him too far OOC.

Joey: And what's dis about smellin' bacon?

LazerWulf: Simple. It's because you're such a ham.

Joey: Hey!

LazerWulf: It's true! Anyway, this'll be my last update for a while.

Joey: What! Why?

LazerWulf: I leave for Canada on Tuesday night. I'm going to help out at the Acquire the Fire convention in Hamilton, ON, and I won't be able to get to a comp to write for at least a week. That, and my other beta-reading responsibilities.

Joey: You're leavin' me here, all alone?

LazerWulf: Oh, don't be so melodramatic. Until next time, people, review! Oh, and if you haven't already, please add me to your Author Alerts list, so you'll know when I DO update.

P.S. Props to anyone who can guess where the "What do you want?" gag is from.


	11. The Date

LazerWulf: I'm BAAA-ack! Thanks to all of you who wished me a good time in Canada. I did. Anyways, I'm bored, so you get another chapter. Be happy.

Joey: I dought you had anudda OneShot you was gonna do first.

LazerWulf: Well, I started it, but I'm putting it on the back burner for now. It's not a YGO fic, and the research is taking longer than expected. Now, for the reviewers.

**thefutureMrs.Kaiba** – Wait no longer. Kaiba's date will be in this chapter.

**ChaosMagicianGirl** – Hey, Hey! Long time no see! Yes, Kaiba is all those things, and he's just the Hikari. Yes. DM is over in Japan, but GX is just starting. Janime's site has info, so go check it out! I've seen the first 5 episodes online. It's in Japanese, so I can't really understand what their saying, but it's like watching a foreign soap opera: You can sorta tell what's going on. Janime's summaries help, too.

**Red Rose Yuki** – Well, it's not himself he has to control. Erm… you'll see. And I thought Yuki meant "game fortress" or something. That's what Janime says, anyway.

**Amme Moto** – I wasn't trying to steal your chapter title! Honest! LOLz, I just thought it was a fitting title, since Lyn "confessed" to Seto about her past. I was gonna have Seto confess to Lyn, too, but I realized that he wouldn't do that in a public place, and then I got a killer idea.

**WakingUpEmpty** – You can't fool me, thefutureMrs.Kaiba. I'm glad you like Lyn, though. I worked very hard on her.

**AllDayIDreamAboutFics** – Well, don't beat yourself up about it. No one else got it either. It's from Field of Dreams, in the Fenway Park scene where Ray and Terrance Mann are walking the concourse. In my, opinion, that's the best baseball movie ever made. I've got it on DVD. No, I haven't read a fic like this, either. I've seen others where Seto gets the Rod, but they always portray Seth as evil, when he wasn't. I wanted to portray him as he really was, loyal to the Pharaoh, even to a fault. As for the SBTB thing, it was bugging me, so I did some research on the internet. It was tough because you spelled his name differently than they did, but I found it nonetheless.

**li** – Eye Spy was the one that Lady Shinigami recommended, and if you read the A/Ns for chapter 9 and 10, you'll realize why I stopped reading it.

**Minor** **Arcana** – Yes, he's sneaky, but there's someone sneakier.

**Secluded Sapphire** – First, I have no doubt that "The Lie That I Lived" is good, I just don't read R rated stuff. Sorry. Anyway, thanks for reviewing as you went along. It helps me to see what you're thinking as you read it, and it boosts my review count, too. (Not that I care about that kind of thing...)

**Evil StormSister** – Kaiba is truly an interesting character to write. And what's so corny about candlelit tables and a dozen roses? I was already planning on the candles, but I've got a different flower in mind, and you'll see why.

**Arianna Blancmanche** – Well, if it wasn't strange, then The Parent Trap wouldn't have become as big of a hit as it did. And I'm glad to see that advertising on Janime's boards has paid off in at least ONE new reviewer...

**Katrina Kaiba** – Well, the wait is over. Enjoy the chapter.

**BEWDKisara** – Another new reviewer! Yay! Wow, C2 is actually good for something? Who knew? Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you're enjoying it.

LazerWulf: Oh, that reminds me! Congratulations to all who got the "BaKa" joke. Ba is Life Force, Ka is Soul Beast, and "baka" means "dummy".

Joey: Hey, what's dis you keep sayin' 'bout "Someone Else"?

LazerWulf: Well, it's no one new, but... well, you'll see. Start the fic!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kisara, but I own Lyn. I don't own Mokuba, but I own Abukom. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I own this AU. I also own Max and Sam.

'_Yami to Hikari'_

'Hikari to Yami'

The Return of the Priest

Chapter 11: The Date

* * *

**Seto's POV**

"I have to get going," she said. "It's almost 8:00, and I told my mom we'd be back for dinner."

We finished our coffee and got up to head toward the Arcade. And by "we", I don't mean Lyn and me. I don't even mean "me".

'WHAT THE DUCK ARE YOU DOING!'

'_Calm down. I'm just taking control of your body for a while. I was the only way I could think of to stop you from saying too much in public.'_

One minute I was complimenting her courage, the next I was in my Soul Room, watching the events unfold on my "Computer Screen". It was lucky that the Rod was hidden in my trench coat. It hid the golden flash from the Rod when we switched places.

'Stop me? You were the one who told me to tell her.'

'_And you should. But there wasn't the place. You do have an image to maintain.'_

I stopped. He was right. I was about to spill the beans, so to speak, about my past to Lyn, without even considering who could be listening.

'But a date?'

'_Call it that if you want, but I figured it would be the best place. Just you and her, no one to eavesdrop.'_

'And you called her cute! What's with that?'

'_I'm sorry. She just reminds me so much of Kisara. It just slipped.'_

'Great, now she's going to think that I like her.'

'_Well, don't you?'_

'Yes, but I don't want her to know, not yet, anyway.'

'_Why not?'_

'I just don't, okay? Now, can I have my body back?'

'_Are you going to cause a scene?'_

Ugh. I felt like I was in second grade.

'No.'

'_And are you going to break the date?'_

Again! He's patronizing me, and he knows it.

'No. I gave, or, rather, you gave, my word, and I always keep my word.'

Another flash from the Rod, again, hidden by the trench coat, and I was back in control. At the Arcade, Mokuba said his farewells to Max and Sam, and we all headed our separate directions.

* * *

**Lyn's POV**

I was practically in a daze on the way home. I was still a little upset that I had told him about my dad and not gotten anything in return.

Except a date.

_The_ Seto Kaiba had asked _me_ on a date. The thought was overwhelming.

* * *

The next few days, he practically ignored me. On Thursday, I pulled Anzu aside and told her about the situation. 

"Kaiba asked you on a date!" she said, incredulously.

"Shhh! Not so loud! Yes, he asked me on a date, but he's been ignoring me ever since."

"That sounds like Kaiba, alright. Don't worry about it. He's probably thinking up something really romantic."

"That reminds me, I don't have a thing to wear tomorrow!"

"No problem. I'll call a specialist. Meet me at the mall after school."

* * *

"Lyn, meet Mai Valentine. Mai, this is Lynae Stromberg, she's got a date with Kaiba, and doesn't have anything to wear." 

Anzu was introducing me to a vivacious blonde in a white brazier and purple miniskirt.

"Kaiba? You're kidding me!"

"Anzu," I groaned, "you didn't have to tell her _who_ I had a date with."

"Sure she did," the blonde defended. "Now, since it's Kaiba we're talking about, we're going to have to find something classy."

She dragged me toward the most expensive store in the mall.

"Mai," I pleaded, once I saw where we were. "I can't afford that place!"

"Don't worry, hon! It's on me."

I blinked.

"Really?"

"Sure! Any friend of Anzu's is a friend of mine."

"Gee, thanks Mai!"

"Don't mention it! Now, we're going to want something that brings out your eyes..."

* * *

Two and a half hours later, we emerged from the store with, not only a dress, but new shoes, earrings, a necklace, and a handbag. 

I don't even want to think about how much all this cost.

* * *

**Seto's POV**

It was the day before my date with Lyn, and something hit me.

I didn't know where she lived.

I mentally bereted myself for not thinking of it sooner. Now I'm glad I had memorized her number. I pulled out my cell phone and quickly dialed the number. After two rings, someone answered.

"Stromberg residence."

"Is Lyn, there?"

"No, she's out with friends. This is her mother."

I felt like a giddy teenager. Well, I guess I was, but it was a new feeling.

"Mrs. Stromberg, this is Seto Kaiba. I'm picking your daughter up for a date tomorrow, and I'd like to know where you live."

"Oh? Lyn didn't mention any date..."

"Yes, well..."

"Where are you coming from?"

* * *

"That's far enough, Roland." 

The referee for the Battle City Finals, who just happened to be my chauffer, parked the limo in front of a two-story house, and rushed around to open my door. He stood there while I walked up the path and rang the doorbell.

"Just a second!" Someone called from inside. The door opened to reveal Lyn's mother.

"Ah, you must be Seto. Come on in!" She called up the stairs, "Lyn, your date's here!"

"OH MY GOSH! IT'S SETO KAIBA!" I heard the squeal long before two blurs dashed in front of me.

"Man, we knew you were Mokuba's brother, but we never thought we'd actually meet you!"

"Now, now, boys, you don't want to scare your sister's date away, do you?"

"No," came the unified response. Kids.

"Seto? You're early!" I heard her voice coming from the top of the stairs. When I turned to look, I wasn't prepared for the vision of beauty that I saw.

Lyn was in a baby blue silk dress, with matching shoes and handbag. The turquoise stones in her earrings and necklace accentuated her blue eyes and light blue hair.

"You look... beautiful," I finally said.

"You like it? Anzu and Mai helped me pick it out," she said as she came down the stairs.

I produced a bouquet of flowers from behind my back and gave them to her.

"Violets! My favorites! How did you know?"

"I didn't. Your name, Lynae, it means 'small blue flower', right? I thought it would be fitting."

"Well, I love them. Thank you." She gave me a peck on the cheek, like she did the night we met, and then handed the flowers to her mom to put in some water.

"Shall we be heading out?" I inquired.

"Yes, let's."

"Have fun, you two," her mom said as we headed out the door. "Be sure to have her back before 12!"

We made our way to the Limo, and Roland helped her inside, while I found my seat next to her.

"To the restaurant, Roland."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Kaiba."

I turn to see Lyn wide-eyed at her surroundings.

"First time in a limousine?" I ask, stating the obvious.

"Yes, it's so... luxurious."

I chuckle. Not one of my sinister chuckles, but a genuine, "that made me laugh" chuckle.

"Yes, I guess it is. After a while, the novelty wears off."

Silence...

Long, awkward, silence...

The limo stops, and Roland comes around again to open the door.

"Sir, we have arrived at the restaurant."

"Thank you, Roland, you may wait here."

"Very good, sir."

"Where are we?" I heard Lyn ask.

"At la Madeleine. I hope you like French cuisine."

As we enter, the maitre D' greets us.

"Ah, Monsieur Kaiba, we've been expecting you! Come this way, your table is ready."

He leads us to a sectioned off area, devoid of any tables, save for the one in the middle. It appears they went through a lot of trouble, but I expected no less. After all, I paid for privacy.

I pull out Lyn's chair for her as the maitre D' lights the candles on the table. Lyn takes a look at the menu as I sit down in my own chair.

"The waiter will be with you shortly," the maitre D' said, and with that, he took his leave.

I turn to look at Lyn, who was still studying the menu.

"May I make a suggestion?" I venture.

"Yes, please."

"Try the filet mignon; it's probably the safest thing on the menu."

"Safest?" She looked alarmed. I had to let out another chuckle. For some reason, I'm able to loosen up around this girl.

"Oh, don't worry, it's all edible, it's just, well, French cuisine is full of stuff you wouldn't normally see on the menu."

"Like what?"

"Well, escargot, for example, is snail."

"Snail?"

"Yes. They're actually quite good. I was planning on having some," I saw her turn a bit green, "but I think I can do without, for tonight."

She was visibly relieved. Maybe I won't tell her what I'm really having for dinner.

The waiter arrived and took our drink orders, as well as the order for Lyn's filet mignon and my foie gras. We filled the 20 minute wait with idle chit-chat, as I didn't want to share any personal details when a waiter could interrupt us at any moment.

Finally, the waiter came back with our food and quickly left, giving us the much-awaited privacy I had paid for.

"Lyn," I started, "I don't know why I'm telling you this. I've never told _anyone_ before, but for some reason, I'm able to open up to you."

She nodded. I continued.

"Before I start, though, I must warn you. My past is a complicated one, and the most recent events are, well, strange, to say the least. Are you sure you still want to know?"

* * *

**Lyn's POV**

Did I want to know? I thought I did, but now I'm not so sure. However, I know he needs to let this out, and if he feels he can trust me, like I trusted him with my past, then I'll sit, listen, and try my best to understand.

I tried to hide my hard swallow as I nodded, giving him the go-ahead to start. He starts talking about his past, from his parent's deaths to life under his adoptive father, from his first meeting with Yugi to having his soul trapped in an endless void after failing to rescue his brother to being told he was the reincarnation of a High Priest, which all led up to this past weekend...

Battle City.

He mentioned a guy named Marik and the 3 Egyptian God Cards, how Marik used something called the Millennium Rod to brainwash other people's minds into doing his bidding and create Shadow Games, He briefly mentioned having a vision on top of his blimp during the finals, and how he was able to read the Egyptian hieroglyphs on the Winged Dragon of Ra card.

He also talked about how his adoptive father's dead son and his Board of Directors trapped him, his brother, Yugi, and Yugi's friends in a virtual world, where his past was dug up and thrown in his face. He talked about losing to his greatest rival and then lost to "that mediocre duelist" because his "game was off".

I just sat there, captivated by his story, and by how he was fighting back his emotions as he told it.

"...somehow, I ended up in a karaoke bar, where we met. To say that you caught me at a bad time would be the understatement of the year. After you left, I had every intention of going home and letting the past stay in the past, but my night wasn't over...

"As I got in my car, I found myself next to a guy called Shadi, who gave me Marik's Millennium Rod, saying that it was mine, since I was the reincarnation of Seth, the High Priest to the "Nameless Pharaoh". I was still skeptical, until I actually met Seth. The next day, when I saw you in class, I was reminded that you looked just like the girl in my vision from the blimp. Seth told me that the girl in the vision was Kisara, the girl who controlled the Blue Eyes White Dragon."

_Blue Eyes White Dragon..._ I thought, _now, why does that sound familiar?_

Before I could ponder any further, my attention was drawn back to his story.

"I didn't believe in destiny, Lyn, I still don't, but meeting you _has_ to be more than a coincidence."

* * *

**Seto's POV**

She was just sitting there, taking it all in. Maybe I shouldn't have told her about Seth or Kisara.

"You don't believe me, do you," I stated flatly.

"No... I mean... it's not that... it's just... well... it's a lot to take in."

"I understand. I'm having a tough time comprehending it all, myself." I look at my watch. "It's almost midnight, I should be getting you home."

* * *

**Lyn's POV**

After an uneventful ride back to my house, we stood on the porch, saying good-night.

"Thank you for this evening, Seto, I had a wonderful time." I turn to head inside, but he quickly grabs my hand to stop me.

"Lyn, wait." I turn around to see his blue eyes staring straight in to mine. "Don't... don't tell anyone, alright?" His eyes were soft and full of emotion.

"Don't worry. I won't. Who'd believe me, anyway?" He seemed to calm down a bit. "Thank you, though," I add, "for telling me this. I know how it must feel to get it all out."

"Good-night, Lyn. I hope to see you again, soon."

"Good-night, Seto. I hope so, too."

With that, he walks back to his limo, and I make my way upstairs, collapsing on my bed.

* * *

**Seto's POV**

You know, it did feel good to just talk about all that stuff. And tonight was great, calm and peaceful, with no interruptions. I'm glad I left the Rod at home...

* * *

Joey: Dun dun DUN! 

LazerWulf: Could you not do that, please?

Joey: Sorry.

LazerWulf: So there you have it: Kaiba's date. I think it went rather well, don't you?

Joey: No.

LazerWulf: ((Smacks Joey upside the head))

Joey: What!

LazerWulf: Be nice. I worked hard on this chapter.

Joey: Did Kaiba really say "what the duck"?

LazerWulf: Yup! Mokuba's trying to get him to cut down on his cussing.

Joey: RIIIiiight...

LazerWulf: Well, that and the fact that _I_ don't curse, and I refuse to make my characters do it, however, I felt that an expletive was needed, so I used a substitute one.

Joey: So... what next?

LazerWulf: Not sure, but I'll think of something. Until then, review! (And put me on your AA list if you haven't already. ;-P )

Pop Quiz: The name "Stromberg" has appeared in YGO. Where? (Hint - you won't know if you've only seen the dub.)


	12. Heart of a Dragon

Joey: Hey dere, guys!

LazerWulf: I know I've kept you waiting long enough, So I'll keep this short...

Joey: ((interrupting)) He's an Uncle!

LazerWulf: Well, thanks for spoiling my big news!

Joey: Sorry!

LazerWulf: Yes, it's true! My sister gave birth to a little girl, Brooke, on New Year's Eve! She's SO cute!

Joey: Anyway...

**Katrina Kaiba** – Sorry it took so long!

**Amme Moto** – Yes, "What the duck" is one of my favorite euphemisms.

**Red Rose Yuki** – Yup! Leon played the Stromberg Castle of Gold, at his brother's prodding, in his duel with Yugi.

**Minor Arcana** – You were more specific than Red Rose Yuki, but you both got it right.

**ChaosMagicianGirl** – I didn't want Seth at the restaurant because I have plans for him in this chapter. And it's not a character; it's a card.

**thefutureMrs.Kaiba** – Well, 4Kids has already purchased the rights to GX, so like it or not, it's coming to the US. I, for one, am looking forward to it! Oh, and the correct spelling is euphemism, and I realized "mou hitori no boku" just after I wrote that, but thanks!

**Evil StormSister** – I don't think of it as corny, I think of it as classic. Although, I did opt to use violets instead of roses. KABLAMO? No, I don't think so. You'll see this chapter. Oh, and I think they changed Amelda's name to Alister so that it WOULDN'T sound gay.

**Jemmie** – Thanks! I will!

**AllDayIDreamAboutFics** – Umm... close. Foie gras (pronounced fwah grah) is Goose liver. I wished I could spend more time on the romance, too, but I'm not good at writing that kind of stuff, and I wanted Seto to tell his story. And it's simple. Seth asked Lyn out on a date so Seto could share his story while they were alone. And thanks for your suggestions. It's been three years since I've had an English class, so I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "active" and "passive". (I'm just trying to keep everything in the same tense!)

**prettyStupidGirl** – A new reviewer! Welcome! Thanks, I like where this fic is going, too.

**Yami Silverdramon** – Holy Run-on Sentence, Batman! Lolz, thanks, I think...

**High Priestess** – I'd put a humor genre in, but FFnet only let's you use 2, and this is more of a Romance sub-genre than a humor one. Well, it's good to know I can always count on Joey to cause a laugh. And you'll see about the Action part.

**Inchantris Z** – Err... thanks.

**Celestial Night** – Well, if you hate SetoxOC, just think of this as SetoxKisara, and enjoy.

**BEWDKisara** – So you're finally caught up! Now you can enjoy this on the edge of your seat, just like everyone else!

**SirisAnkh** – Wait no longer!

**Stormrose Dewleaf** – I meant, where did you find my profile? I haven't gotten around to reading more of your stories, but I hope I will soon.

LazerWulf: Wow! That's a lot of reviewers! I hate to do this, but I'm gonna have to stop responding to reviewers like this. I'll try to figure out a new way that doesn't take up as much space by next chapter. And maybe I'll only start accepting signed reviews. Anyway, ON WITH THE FIC!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kisara, but I own Lyn. I don't own Mokuba, but I own Abukom. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I own this AU. I also own Max and Sam.

The Return of the Priest

Chapter 12: Heart of a Dragon

* * *

**Lyn's POV**

As I lie on the bed, pondering the night's events, the words "Blue Eyes White Dragon" echoed in my head. I had heard or seen it somewhere else, but I just couldn't place it.

Then it hit me. I raced to the dresser and opened my hope chest, where I keep all of my "treasures". I shuffled stuff around until I found what I was looking for.

It was a letter that I received shortly after my father's passing. We had received several letters like this one, offering condolences in our loss, but those were usually addressed to my mother or the family in general.

This one was addressed solely to me.

It was strange, since neither of my brothers received one of these letters, but what made it even stranger was the fact that it was from one of my father's old friends...

Maximillion Pegasus.

My father had met Pegasus while he was going to school in Japan. Pegasus was just another Art student at the time, and they had shared a dorm room. In fact, it was Pegasus and his fiancée, Cecilia, who had first introduced my parents to each other. When my parents moved to Sweden, they lost contact for a while, until I was about 8 years old.

One day my father got a call from Pegasus asking for his help in starting a gaming company. My father was already a well-respected businessman in Sweden, so he helped Pegasus get his company off the ground, though he declined several offers to work for him, even after I2 became successful.

My brothers were still young, so it was mostly for my sake that he did it. Accepting the job would've meant that we would have to move to Japan, and I would've been separated from all my friends. Besides, our family was financially steady; we never wanted for anything.

My father was a humble man, and he never talked about his involvement in I2's creation, so my brothers never knew about our connection with Pegasus. Considering their reaction whenever they met someone famous, my mother and I never told them either.

My thoughts returned to the present as I pull the letter from the envelope and reread its contents.

_Dear Lynae,_

_I am sorry to hear about your loss. I know what it's like to lose a loved one, so I can probably guess what you're going through right now._

_I remember when I first met you. Your father had brought you along on one of his trips to Japan while he was helping me start my company. You were a feisty little girl, as I recall. Do you remember what I told you?_

_I said you had the "heart of a dragon"._

_Dragons are beasts of incredible strength, and you'll need that strength to take care of your mother and brothers._

_Enclosed is a card I believe you were destined to have. It is a representation of that inner dragon of yours. Though there are four other cards out there with the same name, this is a one-of-a-kind, hand painted original that I created just for you, to give you strength in this time of sorrow._

_Sincerely yours,_

_Maximillion Pegasus_

I set the letter aside and removed the card from the envelope. It was a stunning portrait of a white dragon, its head poised as if it was about to strike. ((1)) I glanced to the top of the card and read the silver lettering.

Blue Eyes White Dragon

* * *

**Seto's POV**

As the limo pulled up to the mansion, I noticed that some of the upstairs lights were on. Mokuba was up past his bed time. However, my anger quickly grew as I realized which lights were on.

I stormed up the stairs and threw open the doors to my room.

"Mokuba! What are you doing in my..."

My expression quickly deadpanned as I realized what was going on. Mokuba was sitting in one of my armchairs, listening to Seth tell a story.

"Nii-sama, why didn't you tell me you had the Millennium Rod?"

* * *

**Reader's POV**

Meanwhile, deep within the chambers of the Millennium Rod, a dark figure hid in the shadows.

"So, that fool of a High Priest and his vessel think they've seen the last of me, do they? Well, they've got another _think_ coming. MUHUHUHUHWAHAHAHAHA!"

* * *

((1)) Picture the BEWD from the Legend of Blue Eyes booster packs, rather than the one from the Kaiba starter deck.

* * *

Joey: A _fifth_ Blue-Eyes! How come you neva give ME any cool cards? 

LazerWulf: I gave you that Magical Cylinder so you could defeat Kaiba, remember?

Joey: Oh, yeah. Dat's right.

LazerWulf: Anyway, I figure I should give Lyn a copy, since she's the reincarnation of Kisara.

Joey: What's Kaiba gonna dink?

LazerWulf: I haven't figured that out, yet. Anyway, to make up for making you guys wait so long, I'm also releasing a OSSF (OneShot SongFic) today, "Adding to the Noise". The song is by Switchfoot, so go check it out!

Joey: And by da way, review!


	13. Who Knows?

LazerWulf: Wow! 100 reviews already? And just in time for my birthday.

Joey: When's your birthday?

LazerWulf: February 14...

Joey: Valentine's Day! How come ya neva said nothin'?

LazerWulf: I just did. Anyway, since I have so many reviewers, and limited space to thank them all, I'll just answer a few that had questions. In no particular order...

**Yollandak** - Good question. I knew someone would bring that up. I'll discuss that this chapter.

**Evil StormSister** - No, the Rod will not go Kablamo. At least, not in this fic...

**AllDayIDreamAboutFics** - As per your request, I will continue to accept anonymous reviews. And I would be honored to read your fic.

**SecludedSapphire** - I'll say this... It is, and yet it isn't.

**Minor Arcana** - Actually, "another think coming" is the correct form of the phrase. It's commonly misquoted as "thing", but look at it in context. It's kinda like "You can't eat your cake and have it, too."

Joey: Someone mention cake?

LazerWulf: Oh, quit thinking with your stomach.

Joey: What? I can't help it.

LazerWulf: You better, or I'll replace you with Kaiba.

Joey: You wouldn't dare...

Seto: Someone call my name?

Joey: Oh, no ya don't, moneybags. Dis is my shtick.

Seto: As if a mutt like you could do this job properly.

Joey: Dat's it! ((grabs a giant mallet and starts chasing Kaiba)) Get out of here!

Seto: Someone get this lunatic away from me!

LazerWulf: ((sweatdrops)) Err... Let's just start the fic.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kisara, but I own Lyn. I don't own Mokuba, but I own Abukom. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I own this AU. I also own Max and Sam.

'_Yami to Hikari'_

'Hikari to Yami'

The Return of the Priest

Chapter 13: Who knows?

* * *

**Seto's POV**

Ok, so it wasn't the worst thing that could happen. At least Mokuba doesn't think I talk to myself anymore. I'm talking to my _past_ self, but there's a difference...

Isn't there?

After getting over my initial shock, I repeated my question.

"Mokuba, what are you doing in my room?"

"I had finished all my homework and I was bored. So I started snooping around your room."

"What!"

"Relax, aibou," Seth interjected. "He didn't get very far. I revealed myself to him before he started messing with anything."

"Don't call me 'aibou', Seth. We're not partners. And what do you mean, revealed?"

"It was so freaky, Nii-sama. He just appeared behind me. At first, I thought he was a holographic security system, due to the fact that he was translucent. But then he started talking to me. _To_ me, Seto, not at me."

"And what have you been telling him, Priest?"

"He was asking questions about Abukom, so I told him."

"Did you know that it was Abukom who suggested the sealing of the items?"

"Uh, yeah, I think I've heard something like that," I gave the Spirit of the Rod a glare that would have killed him, had he not already been dead. "Mokuba, why don't you go to bed? We'll discuss all this in the morning."

I ushered my brother to his own room before returning to my own to get ready for bed, where my thoughts were rudely interrupted.

'_So, how did it go?'_

'I told her everything, if that's what you mean.'

'_And...'_

'And I feel like a total fool.'

'_You feel vulnerable.'_

'It's just... what's to stop her from blabbing my life's story to the nearest tabloids?'

'_Do you really think she'd do that?'_

'No.'

'_So you trust her.'_

I paused. I had never really considered the trust factor. Gozaburo taught me not to trust anyone. But Lyn...

'Yeah, I guess I do.'

'_Good night, aibou.'_

'I told you...'

I was interrupted by his soft laughter as he retreated into his Soul Room.

Sometimes...

* * *

**Lyn's POV**

The next morning, I awoke to the sound of a ringing phone.

"Lyn, honey, telephone!"

"Thanks, Mom!" I scrambled out of bed and picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"So," Anzu's voice greeted me on the other end of the line, "how was your date?"

"It's Saturday morning! Couldn't you let me sleep in?"

"Sleep in! It's 1:00 in the afternoon!"

"That early?"

"Come on, spill."

"All right, since I'm up now anyway." I settled into a more comfortable position. "Oh, Anzu, it was fantastic. He picked me up at my house in his limo, and he brought me violets, because he knew what my name meant."

"Wow."

"I know! He took me to this French restaurant, where he..." I stopped short. I promised him I wouldn't tell, but I guess I picked a bad spot to pause the conversation.

"What... Where he what? You didn't..."

"No! He was the perfect gentleman."

"Hah!"

"What's so funny?"

"I just have trouble picturing Kaiba as a 'gentleman'."

"Well, it's true. I guess I've seen a side of Seto that you haven't." _In more ways than one._ I added, mentally.

"So what happened at the restaurant?"

"Oh, we just talked a lot. I ate my filet mignon; he ate his foie gras..."

"Do you even know what that is?"

"Well, no. I didn't ask, and he didn't say. After the escargot incident, I'm not sure I want to know."

"It's goose liver."

"Eww. Gross. I actually tried some!"

"And what did you think?"

"Well, it wasn't unpleasant, but I didn't know what it was at the time."

"So what'd you do afterwards?"

"Nothing. After we ate, he took me home."

"That's it?"

"Well, it was getting pretty late..."

"Just how long did you guys talk?"

"Almost 4 hours."

"4 hours!"

"Well, it was mostly him talking..."

"Oh, I'm sure it was! Did he bore you? I can just picture that egotistical creep droning on and on about himself..."

"Anzu..."

"...probably talking about his latest stock acquisitions..."

"Anzu..."

"...too cheap to take you to a movie or something..."

"ANZU!"

"What!"

"It wasn't like that! The whole reason for the date was so that he could talk to me!"

"About what?"

"His past!"

Dead silence. I knew I had said too much.

"Anzu, I'm sorry, but I have to go."

I hung up.

* * *

Two hours later, I found myself in front of the entrance to the Kame Game store. I didn't know why, but, for some reason, I had to talk to Yugi. 

I walked in, and was immediately greeted by the chipper youth.

"Hey, Lyn, what brings you here?"

"I wanted to get your opinion on this." I pulled out the card I had received from Pegasus.

"A Blue Eyes White Dragon? A _fifth_ Blue Eyes White Dragon! Where did you get this?"

"It was a gift from Maximillion Pegasus, after my father died."

He looked at me with the same look I always get when people learn of my father's passing.

"Oh, Lyn, I'm so sorry."

It's not that I hate that look; it's just that I'm tired of it. It's one of the reasons we left Sweden.

"Thank You. It's been rough, but we're moving on. Now, about the card?"

"Oh, right! You say Pegasus gave this to you?"

"Yes, he was a friend of my father's. He hand-painted it, too."

"Wow, a Blue Eyes White Dragon card hand-painted by Pegasus? That's gotta be worth more than Kaiba's three cards combined!"

"Yugi, I didn't come here to find out what it's worth, I came to find out what it meant."

"What what meant?"

"This card! I just find it strange that Pegasus sent me this card right before I met the man who owns 3 of them."

"Kaiba?"

"Mmhmm."

"I don't know what to say, Lyn. Pegasus has always been a bit eccentric. Perhaps it's just coincidence. I don't know what else to say."

"Oh. Okay, thanks for your help."

Coincidence? Perhaps, but perhaps not. What was it that Seto said last night?

"_I didn't believe in destiny, Lyn, I still don't, but meeting you has to be more than a coincidence."_

In more ways than one...

* * *

**Reader's POV**

A solitary figure walked down the street.

"Yes... This will do nicely. They're both asleep, totally unaware of what I have done, and I'll be back before they realize that they've gone anywhere..."

* * *

Seto: Hmph. So Lyn blabbed to Anzu, did she? And why wasn't I made aware of this other Blue Eyes? 

LazerWulf: Oh, quit overreacting. She didn't say anything. And you'll learn about her Blue Eyes when the time is right.

Seto: But why did she go to Yugi?

Joey: Maybe she tought dat if she went ta you, ya'd rip her card up.

Seto: Why would she think that?

LazerWulf: Well, you did tell her that you ripped up the Blue Eyes card that Yugi's grandpa had...

Joey: Ya also told her dat you were schizophrenic wit' hallucinations.

Seto: Who asked you, mutt?

Joey: I swear, if ya call me mutt one more time...

Seto: You'll do what, mutt?

Joey: Dat's it! ((jumps at Kaiba, and the two are quickly obscured by a cloud of smoke))

Seto: As if that hurts!

Joey: Oh, yeah?

Seto: Yeah!

LazerWulf: ((Sweatdrops)) Heh heh, while these two resolve their differences, howsabout you review?

Next: The Mystery Man's plan comes to fruition...


	14. Strange Things

LazerWulf: Woo-wee! Man, it's been a while!

Seto: And it's about time, too.

Joey: Hey! What's Moneybags doin' here?

Seto: What do you think, Mutt? I'm doing your job.

Joey: WHAT!

LazerWulf: Relax, he's just here to help. I'm not gonna kick you off.

Seto: Not yet, anyway.

Joey: Watch it, Moneybags.

LazerWulf: Now, now, be nice. On to the select review responses... In no particular order:

**Evil StormSister** – Yes, I owe this all to you. Thank you. And I'm sure that several people would find the mystery man "hot" once they find out who he really is.

**Amme Moto** – Duel Monsters rules allow only 3 of the same card in a deck (and then only 1 or 2 of certain cards). Therefore, Kaiba needs 3 BEWDs to summon BEUD because that's all he can have in his deck. It's also why he ripped up the 4th BEWD after he won it from Yugi's grandpa; he couldn't put it in his deck, so he made sure no one else could use it against him. But keep in mind that that was the evil Kaiba, before Yugi defeated him the first time.

**SirisAnkh** – He'll find out. When the time is right, he'll find out.

**Yollandak** – Who ever said they couldn't? Maybe they can and they just choose not to.

**Wolfbane420** – No, I am not putting Vega in my fic. But I will admit that there is a possibility of a duel in this fic's future.

LazerWulf: Okay, now that that's said, I am looking to expand my C2 staff. There's only 2 requirements. 1) You have to be a registered FFnet member (that one's kind of obvious) 2) You have to have a SetoXOC fic. It's a SetoXOC C2, so I would like people who have one under their belt. Now start the fic!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kisara, but I own Lyn. I don't own Mokuba, but I own Abukom. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I own this AU. I also own Max and Sam.

'_Yami to Hikari'_

'Hikari to Yami'

The Return of the Priest

Chapter 14: Strange Things

* * *

**Lyn's POV**

It was Monday morning. I had just dropped my brothers off at their school and was stopped at a red light when something in an alley caught my eye. Two figures slumped against the alley wall. Normally, I would have paid it no mind, just a couple of hobos catching a nap, but one of the "hobos" looked really familiar. When the light turned green, I pulled over and ran to the alley. Sure enough, it was Tristan that I had seen. At first, I thought he was asleep, so I tried nudging him.

"Tristan?"

Just the slightest touch was enough to send him toppling on his side.

"Tristan?"

He still wasn't moving.

"Tristan, are you okay?"

No answer. It was then that I noticed his eyes. They were open, but they had an empty look to them.

I turned to the other guy. He had long, black hair that was held back by a red and black headband. He was wearing black pants, a black shirt, and a red vest. I had never met him, but judging from the die earring he had, I knew that this was the Duke Devlin the gang had told me about.

He had the same vacant expression Tristan had.

I didn't know what to do, so I called Anzu.

"Hello?"

"Anzu, It's Lyn."

"Lyn? What's wrong? You sound terrified!"

"It's Tristan, he's unconscious in an alley and he's got this soulless look in his eyes!"

"Soulless?"

"There's another guy here, too. I think it's that Duke guy you told me about. I don't know what to do!"

"Just stay there. Where are you?"

"I'm in the alley between Third and Fourth Street on Parker Avenue. Should I call the cops?"

"No, don't call the cops. Just stay put. I'll be right there."

* * *

**Yugi's POV**

"What's going on?" I asked Anzu. She, Joey, and I were standing in the school hallway when her phone rang.

"Lyn found Tristan and Duke unconscious in an alley. She said that they had a 'soulless' expression."

"Do ya tink dat dey were sent to da Shadow Realm?"

"I don't know, Joey," I replied. "It's possible."

'What do you think, Pharaoh?'

'_It's impossible to tell until we see them for ourselves, but I have a bad feeling about this.'_

* * *

**Yami Yugi's POV**

By the time we had reached the alley, the Yugi and I had switched places.

"It is as we suspected," I said. "Their minds are lost to the Shadow Realm."

"But how?" Anzu asked.

"This kind of thing can only be done by a Millennium Item, perhaps the Ring, or the Millennium Rod."

"But Yug," Joey interjected, "I thought Marik gave ya da Rod afta you beat 'im."

"He did, but when we arrived back in Domino, he stole it and ran."

"So do ya tink...?"

"Either he or Bakura had something to do with this."

"Millennium Rod? Marik?" Lyn sounded confused. She probably was.

'Pharaoh, I don't think Lyn knows what we're talking about.'

'_You're right, aibou. She's new to our group, but time is of the essence.'_

I turned to Anzu.

"Anzu, help Lyn get Tristan and Duke into her car, and take them someplace safe. Joey and I will head to the museum to talk to Ishizu. Maybe she'll know where to find Marik."

"But..." Lyn tried to interject.

"What about Bakura?" Anzu asked.

"We just have to hope to run into him, but Ishizu is our best lead right now."

"But..."

"Anzu can explain everything to you later."

"But..."

"Come on, Joey, let's go."

* * *

**Lyn's POV**

I wanted to tell them so badly, but they just wouldn't listen.

Now, there were more important issues.

"Where were we going to take Tristan and Duke?"

"We can take them to the game store. Yugi's grandpa can keep an eye on them. Now what were you trying to ask?"

Before I could open my lips, I was interrupted by a strange laugh.

"Kukukukukuku."

Anzu and I turned to see a pale, white-haired boy with a golden circlet hanging from his neck.

"Well, well, what have we here?"

* * *

**Yami Yugi's POV**

It didn't take us long to reach the museum. I was surprised to find Marik there.

"Hello, Pharaoh. I've been expecting you."

Joey, however, was feeling a different emotion as he lifted the Egyptian off the ground by his collar.

"A'right, ya punk. What'd ya do ta my buddy Tristan?"

"Set me down, you buffoon!"

"Joey, calm yourself."

* * *

**Lyn's POV**

"Bakura!" Anzu shouted at the newcomer. "What have you done to our friends?"

"It appears they have been sent to the Shadow Realm, but it wasn't I who did it."

"Not you?"

"Please! It's not my style. Well, maybe it is..."

* * *

**Yami Yugi's POV**

After Joey had let go of Marik, I questioned him further.

"So you know what happened to Tristan and Duke?"

"Pencil Head and Dice Boy? What would I want with them?"

"We were comin' here ta ask ya dat very question."

"Their minds were sent to the Shadow Realm," I explained.

"I had nothing to do with that."

'You think he's telling the truth?' Yugi asked me.

'_I don't know, aibou. It all seems too convenient.'_

"So, if it wasn't Marik, den it has ta be Bakura."

"Wait," Marik said, "there could be another."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't have the Rod anymore."

* * *

**Lyn's POV **

"So if it wasn't you, then it has to be Marik."

"But..."

"Marik? I thought he gave the Rod to Yugi."

"But..."

"He did, but..."

"WOULD YOU PEOPLE LISTEN!" I screamed.

"Lyn, what do you..."

"I've been trying to tell you guys. It can't be Marik because Marik doesn't have the Rod. Seto does."

* * *

Joey: Dun dun DUN! 

Seto: Do you have to do that?

Joey: No, I just like ta.

Seto: Well, knock it off.

Joey: Make me!

Seto: Glad to!

LazerWulf: Guys! Don't make me separate you.

Seto: Oh, please, do. I can't stand to be around this buffoon any longer.

Joey: What'd you call me?

Seto: You heard me.

Joey: Dat's it!

((Seto and Joey disappear into a cloud of dust))

LazerWulf: ((Sighs)) Not again. Ok, guys you know the drill. Review!


	15. Blatant Star Wars Rip Off

Seto: I can't believe I let you talk me into this.

Joey: Shh! He'll hear us!

((They sneak up behind LazerWulf, who is quietly typing away at his computer. Bringing the party horns up to their mouths, they give a long, hard blow.))

**HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNK!**

(LazerWulf jumps 10 feet out of his chair and hangs from a chandelier)

LazerWulf: What'd you do that for?

Seto: It was the mutt's idea.

Joey (to Seto): Oh, come on, ya know ya liked it.

LazerWulf: Is anyone going to tell me what's going on?

Seto and Joey (though Seto is not as enthusiastic): HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

LazerWulf (suddenly dawning on him as he drops from the chandelier): Oh, that's right. July 10th marks one year since I created my FFnet account and first posted "How? Why?". The anniversary of TRotP should be about now, but since this fic was deleted a couple times. I have lost track of exactly when. I know it's between because Evil SS's review of "How? Why?" that inspired this fic on 7/14 and my first review for TRotP on 7/17.

Joey: Wait, how do ya know when yer first review was if da fic was deleted?

LazerWulf: Simple, I archive all my review alert e-mails.

Seto: You're so vain.

LazerWulf: Uh, huh. Okay, Mister Pot. Anyway, instead of review responses, I would like to issue a formal apology for the last chapter. The quick-switching POVs were my lame attempt to add suspense. It won't happen again. As to the length, I'm sorry you thought it was short, but I'm lucky to be getting any updates out at all. I have a job that keeps me pretty busy, with not much time to be writing. Plus, I have SSJ4Takeru's fic that I'm beta-ing, and his chapters are epics in and of themselves, so that takes time. So I have one simple request for all of you. Please do not request updates with your reviews and/or complain about the lack thereof. I have not forgotten about this fic, and I'm definitely not neglecting it.

Joey: Now, onta da fic!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kisara, but I own Lyn. I don't own Mokuba, but I own Abukom. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I own this AU. I also own Max and Sam.

'_Yami to Hikari'_

'Hikari to Yami'

The Return of the Priest

Chapter 15: Blatant Star Wars Rip-Off

* * *

**Lyn's POV**

Anzu and Bakura were staring at me incredulously.

"How do you know about the Rod?" Anzu asked.

"And how do you know rich-boy has it?" Bakura added.

"Seto told me all about it, at least, as much as he knows."

Bakura sneered. "Oh, he did, did he?"

"When? Why?"

"The when was on our date. As for the why, I'm not sure myself. He said that I reminded him of a girl he saw in a dream, someone named Kisara."

"But why would Seto send Tristan and Duke to the Shadow Realm?"

"Maybe he's got an evil streak in him," Bakura chided.

"There's only one way to find out," I said.

* * *

**Seto's POV**

"Mr. Kaiba, there's a Lynae Stromberg here to see you."

"Very well, Roxanne. Send her in."

My arrangement with the school was that I got one week a month off to attend to my company full-time and they got a new computer lab. Lyn's appearance was a surprise, because I wasn't aware that she had a similar arrangement.

A further shock was when she walked in my office with Friendship-Girl and Schizo-Boy in tow.

"What are you doing here?" I noticed that I had said that without my usual shrewd skepticism and more like I was happy to see her, which I was.

Anzu spoke up. "We're here because Tristan and Duke were sent to the Shadow Realm."

"And what makes you think I had anything to do with that?"

"You're the one with the Millennium Rod, aren't you?"

"I'm sorry, Seto," Lyn said, "I had to tell them. From what you told me about these Millennium Items, they're dangerous, and after what happened, I had to tell them. But you didn't have anything to do with it, did you?"

Before I could answer, there was a golden flash, and I was in my soul room.

'I thought you weren't going to do this again.'

"I didn't."

I turned around to find Seth, adorned in his priest outfit and sitting in my chair.

* * *

**Lyn's POV**

There was a golden flash, and Seto's appearance changed. His normally combed hair was sticking straight up, like a brunette Vash from Trigun. Also, his normally cool and calculating eyes were wild and wide.

"Well, well… I see you found me out." His voice had changed, too. It sounded like his normal voice, but there was a deep, almost an echo, underlying it. "Yes, it was I who sent your friends to the Shadow Realm."

I could barely speak. "Wh… who are you? And what have you done with Seto?"

"Oh HO! So it's 'Seto' is it? I wouldn't expect you to know me. Those two," he gestured to Anzu and Bakura, "on the other hand, should know me."

"Malik." The amount of venom Anzu put into that name was shocking.

"Precisely."

* * *

**Seto's POV**

I was shocked, to say the least. "Malik? But how?"

"His spirit is still in the Rod," Seth responded, "but it was weak. He must have taken over while you were asleep, and while I wasn't looking, in order to send Tristan and Duke to the Shadow Realm. Their soul energies must have given him enough power to take over just now."

"Can't we take control back?"

"I've tried, but to no avail. He's locked us in. I don't know how."

I grumbled, stared at the "computer screen" and, powerless to do anything else, watched the events unfold.

"What do you want, you creep?" Anzu asked.

"My dear Anzu, isn't it obvious?" I heard a distorted version of my voice reply. "I want power. I've already stolen the power from your friends Tristan and Duke, and now it's your turn!" With another golden glow from the Rod, I saw a dense purple fog filled the room.

"Now's our chance," Seth told me. Before I could interject, he grabbed my arm and we disappeared from my Soul Room.

* * *

**Lyn's POV**

"Wha… where are we?" I asked.

"Welcome to the Shadow Realm," Malik-Seto replied, "where anything is possible."

"Even this."

I turned around to find two more Setos approaching. One of them was wearing a tall blue hat and white robes and the other was wearing a white business suit, like the one Malik-Seto had on.

"Seth! Seto! Glad you could join us!" Malik-Seto said.

"What are you doing here Malik?" the one in the hat, Seth, I'm assuming, curtly asked. "I thought I had you locked away."

"Malik… Malik… I so hate that name. It doesn't reflect who I really am."

"Oh, and who are you?" Seth asked.

"What? All those years together and you haven't figured it out?"

He reached out toward Bakura and golden light rose out of Bakura's pocket and shot towards Malik-Seto's hand. Suddenly a dark cloud obscured Malik-Seto from sight. When the cloud vanished, Malik-Seto was gone. In his place stood a tall figure in a dark outfit with fiery red hair and a white mask that obscured all of his face except for his left eye, which had been replaced with the golden eye from Bakura's pocket.

"Seth, I am your father."

* * *

Joey: D… 

Seto: I swear, if you go dun dun dun, I will smack you so hard.

LazerWulf: Knock it off guys. Anyway, I don't know when I'm going to be able to make my next update. I'm starting college in soon. Heck, even this chapter took longer than expected. I was hoping to have it out by the 10th, but that didn't happen. I do promise the next chapter will do more to explain this recent development, but until then, re-read Seto's conversation with Seth in the first part of chapter 7.

Joey: Until den, review! (And no complaints about da length!)


	16. Spirits Are Always With You!

LazerWulf: Greetings all! Sorry this is so late in coming, but I just don't have the same amount of time that I used to. Between classes and homework, it took me a while to finally flesh out the duel for this chapter.

Seto: It better be good.

LazerWulf: Don't worry it will be.

Joey: Enough yappin'. Start da show!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kisara, but I own Lyn. I don't own Mokuba, but I own Abukom. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I own this AU. I also own Max and Sam.

'_Yami to Hikari'_

'Hikari to Yami'

The Return of the Priest

Chapter 16: Spirits Are Always With You!

* * *

**Lyn's POV**

First, there were three Setos. Then, one of the Setos turned into a guy with a white mask and red hair. Finally, this white-masked guy claimed to be the father of one of the other Setos.

To say I was confused would be the understatement of the millennium.

"I still don't know exactly who you are," The Seto in the Egyptian garb (Seth, I believe is what the other guy called him), said, "but you are not my father."

"Oh, but in a way," the masked man replied, "I am. I was created when your father made a wish on the Millennium Eye, a wish born out of hatred for Akunumkanon and his son, a wish to make YOU the pharaoh."

"But that wish came true, didn't it?" Seto, the REAL Seto, interjected. "What do you want now? Why are you doing this?"

"It is true that Seth became pharaoh, but at the cost of part of the dark lord, Zork, being sealed away inside the Millennium Puzzle."

"Part of...?"

"Yes, it was a large part of him, but it was not all, for you see, _I_ am a part of Zork. When Akunadin made his wish, the dark lord transferred a piece of himself into the Millennium Eye, and that piece merged with Akunadin to become me. So you see, I am as much Akunadin as I am Zork."

"So if you were the master of the Eye, how did you end up in the Rod?" Seto asked.

"I can answer that. Do you remember that scene I showed you, the one where he killed Kisara? After that, Akunadin took over my body and attacked the Pharaoh. With Kisara's help, I was able to overcome him, but apparently I was not able to eliminate his presence from the Rod."

"Yes, and because I had split myself into two different Items, you were able to keep me at bay. It wasn't until Marik came along that I was able to free myself. His hatred of the Pharaoh was similar enough to Akunadin's that I was able to feed off it and grow stronger. It was only that fool, Odion, who kept my powers suppressed, though I was able to indirectly influence Marik into trying to acquire the God Cards."

"But why?"

"Don't you see? My goal is, and always has been, the revival of Zork Necrophidius! Now that I have the Eye again, I am one step closer to being complete! Now all I need are the other Millennium Items."

"You want the Rod?" Seto sneered. "You can have it!"

"Seto!" Seth yelled.

"Ever since I got that stupid thing, all I've been hearing is 'Egypt' this, and 'Pharaoh' that, and frankly, I'm sick of it. Just take the Rod and leave me alone."

"A kind, offer, boy, but one that is unnecessary. You see, I already have the Rod because I already have you. What you see here is only a spirit form, visible only through the powers of the Shadow Realm. I'm still very much in your body, and if you want it back, you'll have to duel me for it!"

"Fine, then. If it's a duel you want, then bring it on!"

Seto punched in a sequence on a keypad and a large section of the wall moved away to reveal several Duel Disks on display. Seto took one for himself and tossed the other to Akunadin.

"Wait!" I yelled, unable to keep quiet any longer. "What about Tristan and Duke?"

"Ah, yes," Akunadin smiled, "those two. I suppose I could add their souls to the pot, but in return, you have to join us in this duel. We'll make it two versus one. How does that sound?"

"Me, duel? But I hardly know anything about the game."

"Leave her out of this, Akunadin, your duel is with me."

"But if I only duel you, then I don't think the stakes are enough to risk the power I gained from those two."

"...I'll do it."

"Lyn, wait," Anzu cried out. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into!"

I walked over to the wall and grabbed a Duel Disk. "I may not know much about the game, but I've watched my brothers play it enough to know the basics." I pulled a deck from my backpack. "They even made me a deck in case I ever wanted to duel them."

"Fine," Seto said, "just don't get in my way, and don't expect me to bail you out."

_Who is this Seto?_ I thought. _He's so serious. He's like a completely different person from the man I went on a date with._

* * *

**Seto's POV**

Damn it! Why'd she have to get herself involved in all this mess?

'_Because she cares about her friends, and she cares about you.'_

I glanced over to see Seth looking at me, an amused smile on his face.

'So, you're still reading my thoughts.'

'_It's a bad habit, but maybe if you didn't think so loudly...'_

'Shut up. I don't need this from you right now.'

'_I'm just trying to help, and so is Lyn.'_

'I don't need her help, and I certainly don't need yours, so just stay out of this.'

'_Very well.'_

"If you're done conversing with your yami," Akunadin stated, "I'd like to get this duel started."

"You could hear that?"

"Of course, I'm sharing your body right now."

"Hear what?" Lyn said.

"Oh, nothing of any consequence, my dear. Young Seto here was just expressing concern for you."

"He was?"

"I was doing nothing of the sort!"

"Well, maybe not in so many words..."

"Enough!" I yelled. "Let's just duel. 4000 Life Points apiece sound fair? I want to get this over with quickly."

I shuffled my deck and slid it into my Duel Disk. Lyn did the same.

"Oh, where is my head?" Akunadin remarked. "I don't even have my deck, yet." He held out his hand and it was surrounded by a dark purple aura. Suddenly, my briefcase opened up and 40 cards flew from it and landed neatly in Akunadin's outstretched palm. "I hope you don't mind, but I'm borrowing a few cards from you."

"Go ahead. It's not like any of those cards will do you any good."

"We'll see," he replied as he shuffled his newly acquired deck.

"DUEL!" We all cried out as we drew five cards each.

**LP:  
Seto – 4000  
Lyn – 4000  
Akunadin – 4000**

Drawing a sixth, I stated, "I'll start things off by playing _Graceful Charity_! Now I can draw 3 cards, but after that, I must discard 2. Then I summon _X-Head Cannon_ in attack mode!"

**X-Head Cannon  
LVL: 4  
ATK: 1800  
DEF: 1500**

"After that, I'll play the Continuous Spell Card _Frontline Base_! This lets me special summon one level four Union Monster from my hand once per turn, and I'll use it to summon _Y-Dragon Head_!

**Y-Dragon Head  
LVL: 4  
ATK: 1500  
DEF: 1600**

"Next I'll activate _Premature Burial_, which allows me to summon the _Z-Metal Tank_ I sent to the graveyard with Graceful Charity by paying 800 Life Points!"

**LP:  
Seto – 3200**

**Z-Metal Tank  
LVL: 4  
ATK: 1500  
DEF: 1300**

"Now I combine X-Head Cannon, Y-Dragon Head, and Z-Metal Tank to form _XYZ-Dragon Cannon_!

**XYZ-Dragon Cannon  
LVL: 8  
ATK: 2800  
DEF: 2600**

"Finally, I'll set one card and end my turn."

"I'll go next," Lyn said, drawing. "I'll also play _Graceful Charity_, and then I'll summon _The Agent of Creation – Venus_ in attack mode!"

**The Agent of Creation – Venus  
LVL: 3  
ATK: 1600  
DEF: 0**

"Next, I'll activate Venus' effect. I can Special Summon as many _Mystical Shine Balls_ from my deck as I want by paying 500 Life Points for each one. I think I'll summon 2 of them in defense mode."

**LP:  
Lyn – 3000**

**Mystical Shine Ball  
LVL: 2  
ATK: 500  
DEF: 500**

"Finally, I'll set one card and activate the Field Spell _The Sanctuary in the Sky_. This card protects me from all damage from a battle involving one of my fairy-type monsters. That'll do it for me."

"Ah, yes, my turn at last," Akunadin sighed. "I must say that both of you are dueling extremely well. However, it's not going to be enough. I'll also start my turn by playing _Graceful Charity_, and since both of you have been kind enough to lower your own Life Points, I'll pay 1000 of mine to activate the Spell card _Confiscation_."

**LP:  
Akunadin – 3000**

"Now, Lyn, be a dear and discard the card in the middle, would you?"

"But, aren't you supposed to look at my hand first?"

"I don't need to. I already know that card is your _Guardian Angel Joan_. You were planning to sacrifice your two Shine Balls to summon her next turn, weren't you? I'm afraid I can't allow that."

"But how did you..."

"It's simple," I interjected. "He's cheating. He's using the Millennium Eye to read our minds, like Pegasus used to do."

"Pegasus...?"

"How right you are, my boy! Using this Eye I can see your every card, read your every strategy. There's no way you can win this duel! Continuing my turn, I'll summon _Cyber Dragon_ in attack mode!"

**Cyber Dragon  
LVL: 5  
ATK: 2100  
DEF: 1600**

"That's not fair!" Anzu cried out. "How can he summon a 5-Star monster without any sacrifices?"

"Idiot woman," Bakura retorted, "don't you know anything? Because Lyn and Seto both have monsters on their field and Akunadin doesn't, Cyber Dragon's effect lets Akunadin summon it without a Tribute."

"Correct! Now, my Cyber Dragon, attack Lyn's Agent of Creation!"

The dragon opened its mouth and shot a ball of lightning at Lyn's monster.

"Your Sanctuary protected you from damage, but I'm not done yet. I'll set three cards face down and end my turn. If you two think your face-down cards are going to be of any help, think again."

"My turn! XYZ-Dragon Cannon, attack his Cyber Dragon!"

With a blast from the cannon's barrels, Akunadin's monster was no more.

"I discard _Kuriboh_ from my hand to negate the battle damage done to me."

"Where'd you get a Kuriboh? I know for a fact that I didn't have that small-fry in my briefcase."

"I put it there. You think those were forty random cards I pulled? I've been planning this duel for a long time, first chance I got, I made sure you had all the cards I needed to win this duel."

"Grrr... fine. I'll set one more card and end my turn."

"My turn!" As Lyn saw the card she drew, I saw her eyes widen in fear.

"Lyn, what is it? What did you draw?"

"Go ahead, my dear, play it. Play the card you were afraid to tell him about."

"Lyn, what's he talking about?"

"I sacrifice my two Mystical Shine Balls to summon _Blue-Eyes White Dragon_!"

**Blue-Eyes White Dragon  
LVL: 8  
ATK: 3000  
DEF: 2500**

My head was spinning. Where did Lyn get a Blue-Eyes? I thought there were only four in existence. I have three, and I tore up the fourth one that Yugi's grandfather had, so where could she get hers?

Before I could say anything, Lyn declared her attack.

"Go, Blue-Eyes! Attack Akunadin directly!"

As the mighty dragon reared it's head back to deliver what would be the finishing blow to Akunadin's Life Points, Akunadin triggered one of his face down cards.

"I activate the Trap card, _Negate Attack_! This keeps your dragon from attacking me and ends your battle phase. As I see that you can't play any of the cards in your hand, I'll go ahead and start my turn."

As he looked at his new card, he started laughing manically. "Now you're in for it! I'll remove the _Magician of Faith_ I sent to the graveyard and the _Kuriboh_ I discarded from the game to summon _Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End_!"

**Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End  
LVL: 8  
ATK: 3000  
DEF: 2500**

"Now I'll pay 1000 Life Points to activate its effect! It destroys every card on the field and in our hands and deals 300 points of Direct Damage to each of you for each card destroyed!"

**LP:  
Akunadin ****–**** 2000**

Chaos Emperor Dragon created a vortex that started absorbing all the cards we had.

"Not so fast!" I yelled. "I activate the Trap card _Barrel Behind the Door_ to make you take all the damage I would have received."

"Ah, ah, ah! You're forgetting that I saw through this strategy already, and I've got the perfect counter for it! I'll also activate _Barrel Behind the Door_!"

"What!"

"And instead of directing the damage towards you, I think I'll send it towards Lyn, making her receive twice the damage she would have!"

"Not if I activate this!" Lyn revealed her face down card. "_Pikeru's Circle of Enchantment_ protects me from all effect damage."

"When will you learn? I told you your face down cards wouldn't do you any good. I activate the Trap card _Seven Tools of the Bandit_! By paying another 1000 Life Points, I can negate your Circle of Enchantment."

**LP:  
Akunadin ****–**** 1000**

Lyn fell to her knees.

"No..."

"That's right! Now let's see here. I don't have any cards in my hand and only Chaos Emperor Dragon on the field. Seto has XYZ-Dragon Cannon, Frontline Base, _Mirror Force_ face down, and _Book of Moon_ in his hand. You, my dear, have your Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Sanctuary in the Sky on the field, and Mudora and Shining Angel in your hand. By my count, that's 9 cards, for a total of 2700 damage. Oh, but wait! You have to take twice that amount, thanks to Seto over here. That comes out to 5400!"

As Chaos Emperor Dragon finished absorbing all the cards, it turned a dark red and self destructed. When the smoke cleared, Lyn was lying unconscious on the floor.

**LP:  
Lyn – 0**

"LYN!"

"Poor girl, I probably should have warned her about the penalty for losing a Shadow Duel."

"What have you done to her?"

"The Shadows have her, now. If you want her back, then continue this duel and beat me, if you can..."

* * *

Joey: What's dis? Is Kaiba actually showin' concern fer Lyn? 

Seto: Go shove it up your...

LazerWulf: GENTLEMEN! That's enough! ((clears throat)) Now, first of all I'd like to thank Minor Arcana (or Toon Maha Vailo as she's know around Janime's) for her help with creating the duel. She created Lyn's deck and most of Akunadin's, as well as some of the mechanics which won't occur until the second half of this duel.

Next, I'd like to give a Shameless Plug for Kanius' much anticipated sequel to his mega-crossover series "YuYuGiDigiMoon: The Invasion of the Rajita", which can be found among my favorite stories. The reason I'm plugging it is not just because I'm the beta-reader, but that this story will feature, by my permission, of course, Lyn, Max, and Sam Stromberg. If you think you know them from reading this, let me tell you that I've given them a complete makeover for this new saga. The original heart behind the characters is still there, but the back-story is a bit different.

Finally, I'd like to say that, with the release of the Memory Arc dub, I realize that some of the names have changed slightly from the Japanese, "Akhenaton" instead of "Akunadin", for example, but I figure, if I can use "Anzu" alongside "Tristan", continuing to use "Akunadin" shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Seto: You'd think...

LazerWulf: Anyways, the next chapter should be out sometime soon. The thing that took so long with this chapter was actually writing the duel, but now that I have that all planned out, the next chapter will probably be out sometime before Christmas.

Joey: Until den, Review! (You might even get one o' dem fancy pants Review Responses if ya leave a signed one...)


	17. The Legacy of the Blue Eyes White Dragon

LazerWulf: WOOHOO!

Seto: What's he so happy about?

Joey: Beats me...

LazerWulf: I (somewhat) successfully made it through my first semester of college, and I'm currently on a plane home to Houston to see my family, whom I haven't seen in 4 months.

Joey: Ah, yes... family.

Seto: Hmph...

Joey: Oh, come off it, Moneybags. How would you feel if you hadn't seen Mokuba for 4 months?

Seto: ...

Joey: My point exactly.

LazerWulf: Anyway, I've got 2 hours to kill, so I thought I'd bring you the next chapter of TRotP! (Told ya it'd be a quick update...)

Disclaimer: I don't own Kisara, but I own Lyn. I don't own Mokuba, but I own Abukom. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I own this AU. I also own Max and Sam.

_Thoughts_

'_Yami to Hikari'_

'Hikari to Yami'

The Return of the Priest

Chapter 17: The Legacy of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon

* * *

**Yami Yugi's POV**

After coming to the realization that Kaiba had the Millennium Rod, Joey, Marik, and I headed off to KaibaCorp to confront him.

"Just wait 'til I get my hands on dat rich boy..."

"Joey, calm yourself," I said. "We still don't know for sure that it was him."

"And even if it was," Marik interjected, "he might not have even been in control. This has Malik written all over it."

"Malik?" Joey asked. "Your darker side? I thought it was the Rod that brought him out in you. Shouldn't he have disappeared when you gave up the Rod to Shadi?"

"Not necessarily. Malik wasn't exactly my darker side, he was a spirit in the Rod that fed off of my anger for the Pharaoh. There was another spirit in the Rod, though, a stronger spirit, which had kept Malik at bay for 5000 years, until my hatred strengthened him enough to overpower the other spirit. Without me to feed off of, Malik shouldn't be able to emerge, unless Kaiba has a similar hatred towards you, Pharaoh."

"No, he still denies his Egyptian past, so his grudge is against Yugi, not me."

"Then I don't know what to say."

By this point, we had reached Kaiba's office, only to be stopped by his secretary.

"I'm sorry, but Mr. Kaiba is unavailable."

"Oh, I'll make him available," Joey said, as he threw open the huge double doors to Kaiba's office, only to be greeted by a large, purple barrier, similar to the one Pegasus used to separate me from my friends at Duelist Kingdom.

"When I said 'unavailable', I meant it. I haven't been able to reach him for the last half-hour."

'This wall can only mean one thing,' Yugi said to me.

'_I agree. There must be a Shadow Game taking place in there. All we can do is hope for the best.'_

* * *

**Seto's POV**

**LP:  
Seto – 3200  
Akunadin – 1000**

I was still standing after Akunadin's Chaos Emperor Dragon's effect. Unfortunately, I couldn't say the same for Lyn. I looked down towards Lyn and found her lying on the ground. She wasn't moving and I felt scared for her condition. I turned around and faced Akunadin with an angry scowl.

"What did you do to her?" I demanded out of Akunadin.

"Oh, come now, you should be able to figure that out. She lost a Shadow Game, so her soul is enjoying a nice stay in the Shadow Realm. And by 'nice stay', I mean eternal torment," the villain laughed out.

Speaking with my teeth clenched, I demanded, "Bring her back."

"Tsk, Tsk, you know the rules, defeat me, and she's free, along with Tristan and Duke. Lose, and your body becomes my vessel."

"Fine. I believe it's my turn." I played the card I just drew and glared back at the freak. "I activate the spell card _Card of Sanctity_. This lets us both draw until we have 6 cards in our hands. ((1))"

I examined my new hand. I had drawn my three _Blue-Eyes White Dragons_, _Waboku_, _Threatening Roar_, and _Brave Attack _((2)). Yes, I had drawn my three most powerful dragons and their majestic blue eyes looked directly into mine. I knew they were begging to be summoned. Akunadin was in for a beating.

"I'll set 2 face down cards and end my turn," I declared as the two cards appeared on the field.

"Well, well," Akunadin chuckled in amusement. "It looks like you've drawn a lame hand. I, on the other hand have drawn exactly the cards I need to take you down. First, I'll remove my Cyber Dragon and Chaos Emperor Dragon from the graveyard in order to summon my _Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning!_"

**Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning  
LVL: 8  
ATK: 3000  
DEF: 2500**

Summoned forth to Akunadin's side of the field was blue armored knight. Embedded on sections of his body, including his shoulders and chest were yellow platings. Underneath a helmet was a human face with light blue skin. The soldier was holding a shield on his left hand and a long, yellow blade on the other hand. I watched the soldier standing out in attack position.

"And don't think I'm done there. I'll equip him with _Megamorph_, and since you have more Life Points than I do, Black Luster Solder's Attack Points double!"

**Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning  
ATK: 6000 (3000 x 2)**

"If you're thinking you can use that Brave Attack Card to take my monster down, you're sorely mistaken, for now I'll equip him with two _Axe of Despairs_ and a _Black Pendant_ to raise his attack by another 2500 points!" Akunadin declared for his next move.

**Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning  
ATK: 8500 (6000 + 1000 + 1000 + 500)**

In place of his sword and shield, Black Luster Soldier was now wielding two very large axes and was wearing a chain with a dark stone around his neck.

"Finally, I'll equip him with the spell card _Mage Power_, which increases his attack by 500 points for each magic or trap card I have on the field. Including Mage Power itself, I count five cards."

**Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning  
ATK: 11000 (8500 + 2500)**

I watched as his soldier was gaining more attack power and anticipated his attack.

"Now I'll declare an attack and force you to activate one of your traps!" Akunadin exclaimed.

I hit the button on the Duel Disk that activated my _Waboku_, reducing all damage to zero.

"With that, I'll end my turn. You're only delaying the inevitable, Seto!"

"I don't believe in destiny. My draw!"

_De-Fusion_...

"Ah, I see you're starting to figure out a way to get your 3 Blue-Eyes on the field. Although, it would seem that you're one card short."

"I end my turn."

There was no way I was losing to this freak. I am Seto Kaiba and nobody was going to stop me. This creep couldn't hope to lace my boots. This game is mine to win.

"Fine then, I assume you're going to activate that _Threatening Roar_ to prevent me from declaring an attack. Go ahead, I won't stop you," Akunadin challenged Seto.

I activated my trap and he ended his turn. With my next draw, I got the card I needed. Yes, this is my time to turn this duel back to my favor. This freak was going to learn the hard way and join the list of countless duelists I've crushed.

"I activate _Polymerization_, fusing the three Blue-Eyes in my hand into _Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon_!"

**Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon  
LVL: 12  
ATK: 4500  
DEF: 3800**

I summoned the most powerful monster in my deck, the majestic and powerful Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. The three heads of my dragons stemmed from the same body, poised to strike. The skin of the monster was metallic, light blue. Its eyes emitted an intense blue hue. The dragon heads unleashed a terrifying roar simultaneously.

"Since I'm so obviously outmatched, I'll set this card face down and end my turn," I said as I laid my card down.

"Ah, Seto... Nothing you do surprises me. I know your every strategy. I can see your every move before you know you're going to make it. I'll attack, and you'll activate your _De-Fusion_ to summon your three dragons. You're stalling. It's only a matter of time before you are defeated. Just give up now and save us both the time."

"Never." I drew.

_Monster Reborn... Maybe I could..._

"You could, but it wouldn't do any good. The only monster you have in your graveyard worth summoning with that is XYZ-Dragon Canon, which only has 2800 attack points. And while it would add enough to your arsenal to destroy my Black Luster Soldier, it would still leave me with 200 Life Points. Then _Brave Attack_ would destroy all your monsters leaving you open for this card right here."

He showed me a card from his hand. My eyes widened in horror at this card. I absolutely hated to admit it but I knew there was nothing I can do to stop it.

"_Yata-Garasu_..."

"Yes, Yata-Garasu, the card that makes you skip your draw phase whenever it does damage to you. With an empty field and an empty hand, Yata will slowly whittle away at your life points until you have none left."

I fell to my knees. _Crap, he's right. There's nothing I can do. It could be all over for me._

'_Same old Seto... Always thinking of yourself,'_ I heard my Yami say.

'Seth, now is not a good time for the "Lone Wolf" speech. And in case you didn't realize, I'm not just thinking of myself,'

'_Of course... You were also thinking of how you failed Lyn.'_

That hit me like a ton of bricks. I _had_ failed her. I had just met her, I was even starting to like her, and just like that, she's gone, and I blew my one chance to save her. There was so little I knew about her, and so much more I wanted to know, like where she got her...

"**_THAT'S IT!"_**

"No, you can't! Why didn't I see this before now?"

"Probably because I just thought of it. I was so wrapped up in my own selfishness that I didn't see the possibility, and you were so bent on reading my strategy that you couldn't see me seeing this. But you see it now, don't you? You see it and you can't do anything about it, and that must be driving you mad. Now, to finish this! I activate _Monster Reborn_ to revive the Blue-Eyes White Dragon in Lyn's graveyard!"

A white light shone from the Duel Disk on Lyn's unconscious body, and her Blue-Eyes appeared on the field next to mine. In comparison, it seemed different. It was just as ferocious and powerful as mine were, but it seemed more majestic and elegant. It was like my dragons were just a pale shadow compared to the brilliant luminescence of Lyn's beast. It truly was a beautiful sight.

"And now, I activate the magic card _Brave Attack_, which lets me combine the attack strength of all the monsters on my field and do battle with your Black Luster Soldier!"

The four dragons reared their heads as spheres of energy formed in their maws. Akunadin watched in utter disbelief at the sight and backed away. He knew that the end was at hand and stepped back with a terrified expression.

"That's 12000 attack points!" Akunadin shouted.

"And you're soldier only has 11000. Go, Blue-Eyes White Dragons! **QUADRUPLE WHITE LIGHTNING ATTACK!**"

On my command, they released their streams of energy directly at Black Luster Soldier, shattering the hologram into millions of pieces. I didn't even flinch as _Black Pendant_ exploded and took away 500 of my Life Points, because my dragons' attack took away the rest of Akunadin's. It was over for him.

**LP:  
Seto – 2700  
Akunadin – 0**

As the Shadow Game ended, the weird purple cloud started to dissipate, and with it, Akunadin's body did, too.

"Curse you, Seto! You haven't seen the last of me!" the angry cries of Akunadin echoed out as his body vanished.

When his body had finally disappeared, the Millennium Eye fell to the ground. This allowed Bakura to reach down for the ancient item.

"I'll take this back," Bakura said as he snatched the fallen treasure. The old fool was weak, but I know when a tactical retreat is in order. Farewell!" Bakura's voice faded out.

I'm not exactly sure where Bakura went after this (Anzu mentioned something about a purple portal), my attention was focused elsewhere. I turned towards Lyn's unconscious form and ran towards her.

"Lyn!" I knelt by her side. "Lyn, wake up!"

* * *

**Lyn's POV**

Cold...

That's all I felt in the darkness. I don't know how long I was there, it seemed like an eternity. I couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't feel anything except the cold darkness. Was I dead? It couldn't end like this.

Then I heard his voice, and a bright, warm light erupted within my soul, dispelling the darkness.

"...n! Lyn, wake up!"

When I finally opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Seto kneeling over me. I was so overcome with happiness that I did the only thing I could think of.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him.

* * *

((1)) This is _Card of Sanctity_'s anime effect

((2)) As far as I know, this is an anime only card. According to Janime's site, _Brave Attack_'s effect is as follows: Combine the total ATK of all face-up Attack Mode Monsters on your side of the Field and battle 1 of your opponent's Monsters. At the end of the Battle Phase, destroy all Attack Mode Monsters on your side of the Field.

* * *

Joey and Seto: 0.o!

LazerWulf: Speechless, I see.

Joey: She... She...

Seto: She kissed me!

LazerWulf: Of course! This is part romance fic, what'd you expect? Now, I want to thank Toon Maha Vailo (aka Minor Arcana) for helping me plan out the duel, and big thanks to Kanius (aka SSJ4Takeru) for helping me with the imagery. Some of the words in here are his. Thanks, you two.

Joey: A-hem...

LazerWulf: I also want to thank all my loyal reviewers for sticking with me throughout this series. Next chapter will be the last chapter, and I'm looking forward to completing my first fic. Don't worry, though. I'm far from done with fanfiction. I've just released two new GX stories, _Dear Diary_ and _Yo Journal_, which are companion fics from Asuka's and Judai's POV, respectively. Check 'em out if you haven't already.

Seto: And don't forget to review!


	18. All's Well That Ends Well

LazerWulf: (Wakes up and finds himself tied to a chair) What's going on?

Joey: 'Bout time you woke up.

Seto: We've taken the liberty of holding you hostage.

Joey: Yeah, ya ain't goin' nowhere until you finish this chapter.

LazerWulf: But why?

Seto: Do you know how long I've been holding that pose?

Joey: 8 freakin' months.

LazerWulf: You're not going to let me out of this, are you?

Seto: Not a chance.

LazerWulf: (sighs) All right, here we go. The 18th and final chapter of The Return of the Priest will now begin.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kisara, but I own Lyn. I don't own Mokuba, but I own Abukom. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I own this AU. I also own Max and Sam.

_Thoughts_

'_Yami to Hikari'_

'Hikari to Yami'

The Return of the Priest

Chapter 18: All's Well That Ends Well

* * *

**Yami Yugi's POV**

The purple barrier surrounding Seto's office dissipated and allowed Marik, Joey, and me to enter the room in time to witness Bakura picking up a small golden object which could only have been Pegasus' Millennium Eye and retreat through a Shadow Portal.

"Pharaoh!" I heard Anzu call out to me.

"Anzu, what's going on?" I asked.

"It was terrible! Lyn, Bakura and I went to confront Seto about the Millennium Rod when he was possessed by Malik, then Malik brought us all into the Shadow Realm where two other Setos showed up, one of them wearing Egyptian clothes, then the Malik-Seto stole the Millennium Eye from Bakura and changed into this weird guy in a white mask and claimed to be the Egyptian Seto's father, then challenged Seto and Lyn to a duel. Mask Guy defeated Lyn, then Seto defeated Mask Guy. Now, Seto's trying to wake up Lyn."

Still trying to process all this information, I turned to see Seto kneeling over Lyn. Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, Lyn woke up and kissed Seto. Both of their eyes widened, Seto's in shock, Lyn's in horror. She quickly released him and stood, straightening herself.

* * *

**Lyn's POV**

Oh. My. God! What was I doing?

"I'm so sorry," I said.

"You know," Seto responded, "That's the second time you've kissed me. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were just another fangirl, trying to make a move on me."

"That's not it at all! I was just..."

"Shh," He held a finger to my lips. "I know. Losing your soul can be a traumatic experience. It happened to me once, remember?"

"It's just that it was dark and cold and so full of nothing that I... I..." I couldn't hold back the tears and fell once again into Seto's arms.

"It's okay, It's okay. You're alright, now."

It was then that we suddenly became aware of the others in the room, especially Joey.

"Lyn and Kaiba sittin' in a tree, K-I..."

"Wheeler, if the next thing out of your mouth is what I think it will be, you will regret it."

"Yeah, Joey," Anzu interjected, "show a little sympathy."

"Why? Kaiba's showin' enough sympathy for all of us. Kaiba. Sympathy. Who'da thunk?"

"Shove it up your pie hole, Wheeler."

"Now dat sounds like da Kaiba we all know and despise."

When Seto returned his attention back to me, I had calmed down a bit.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked.

"I think so," I nodded.

"You know, I really must thank you for your help back there."

I looked at him strangely. "But, I didn't do anything! I was the first to lose! I didn't even touch Akunadin's life points!"

"But it was your Blue-Eyes White Dragon that helped me defeat him in the end. Why didn't you tell me you had that card?"

_My Blue-Eyes? _"It's a memento of my father. Maximillion Pegasus gave it to me shortly after his death."

"Pegasus!"

"He painted it himself. It's very special to me, and I didn't know what you would do. I was afraid that you would tear it up, like you did to Mr. Muto's card."

He pushed my hair back behind my ear. "That was a different time."

With that said, Yugi, or, rather, the pharaoh, cleared his throat.

"Speaking of different times," he said, "have you finally come to terms with your ancient past, Seto?"

"I'm still not entirely certain that I'm not just going crazy, but the voice in my head seems to tell me otherwise."

Suddenly, there was a golden flash from the Millennium Rod, and Seto kneeled before Yugi.

"My king, I am yours to command."

* * *

**Seto's POV**

'What the duck are you doing?' I demanded.

'_I am paying my respects to my ruler.'_

'You're embarrassing me, is what you're doing.'

"Seth is it?" the pharaoh asked.

"Yes, my king."

"Tell me, Seth, do you know my name?"

He paused a bit before answering, "I'm sorry, my king. It was your wishes that your name be banished from everyone's memory. It was a task I was carried out reluctantly, for I felt that, without a name to attribute to your deeds, you would quickly be forgotten."

"Do not blame yourself, Seth. If I had commanded you to do it, it must have been for the good of the world. Is there anything you _can_ tell me?"

"Yes, my king, I can tell you many things. While you shattered your memories when you sealed yourself into the Millennium Puzzle, my memory remains more or less intact."

At that moment, Joey's stomach started to growl. "Hey, guys, is there any way we could finish up this conversation over pizza? Kaiba's treat!"

I took that moment to reclaim my body. "When hell freezes over, mutt."

"Now Seto," Lyn said, as she walked up beside me and placed her hand on my arm, "I think it would be nice of you to pay for lunch. After all, we wouldn't have been in this situation if it wasn't for you."

"How is this..." I started, but the look in Lyn's eyes told me I was not going to win this argument. "Fine."

"Hold up, guys," Anzu interrupted. "I've got this feeling that we're forgetting something..."

* * *

**Reader's POV**

Meanwhile, outside of the Kaiba Corp. building, Duke and Tristan were just waking up.

"Duke?"

"Yes, Tristan?"

"Why are we alone in the backseat of a car?"

"I don't know. The last thing I remember was running into Kaiba in an alley. Tristan?"

"Yes, Duke?"

"Let's never speak of this again."

"Agreed."

* * *

LazerWulf: It is finished.

Joey: Boy, Lyn sure has Kaiba whipped!

Seto: Oh? And you're not putty in Mai's hands.

Joey: That was low, Kaiba.

Seto: I know.

LazerWulf: Guys! Cut it out! Anyway, I want to thank all my loyal readers who've stuck with me over the past 2 years. (Has it really been that long?) Also, I'm sad to say that I'm postponing the sequel to TRotP for a while, so I can work on my new Naruto fic: "The Festival of Roses". Look for chapter 1, coming soon!

Joey: 'Til then, sayonara!

Seto: And review! The Kaiba commands it.


End file.
